Setting free the wolf
by dantemalfoy
Summary: Emmett/Jacob slash. Takes place after BD. Emmett is at the end of his rope when he keeps noticing Renesmee's bites dotting Jacob's neck.
1. Chapter 1

_**AN:** This Emmett/Jacob slash is unlike my usual fics. Watching BD2, I loathed the way Edward and Bella treated Jacob as a mere afterthought, a pet. This story is a direct result of that._

_Therefore, expect slight Cullen bashing, and heavy Bella, Edward and Nessie bashing. There will be NC-17 scenes and heavy language._

_Possible character deaths (not Emmett or Jacob). The story will be two chapters, and I'll update in the next few days._

* * *

"Wassup, man?" Shooting Jacob a fleeting smile, I cock my chin at the game playing on the plasma TV and swipe my thumb over the pad, smiling at my reflection on the screen when the wraith of a zombie gets what she richly deserves. "Wanna play?"

The pitiful wails of the zombie linger between us for a while in the surround system until they warble and fade, but they can't disguise Jacob's tired groan. "Sorry, Emm, but I'm dead tired."

I glance at his reflection on the plasma screen, noting the pallor of skin that used to be the shade of burnished wood, the trusty color of the handle of my ax in far away Tennessee. My vampire senses are on steroids as I follow the way he rubs his hands across his neck, favoring the central expanse of russet skin that goes from the hollow of his collarbone to the strong bolt of his jaw.

Clench my fingers around the couch so tight it rips apart, the stuffing falling softly down the floor of our living room as I fight to choke back a curse, for tiny puncture wounds pepper what should be unblemished skin.

This is Renesmee's doing, again. She's fed from Jacob once more.

The puncture wounds bleed sluggishly as the sweet scent of the wolf's blood calls to me. It's nothing that tempts me, however. I am at peace drinking the blood that comes from bears and deer. Not for me the hunger of Jasper, who would sweep down on Jacob and milk him dry, not even august Edward, dark eyes ablaze as he might sate his hunger and then look down at the husk of a wolf on the floor, shrugging his shoulders in feigned regret.

Rub my hands over my face in desperation. How can Jacob linger in a house full of enemies professing friendship, where no one gives a shit when dear Renesmee drinks of him? Gazing at the goofy smile adorning Jake's striking features, I know the truth. He's acting under the compulsion of the stupid imprint everyone's so proud of, even Leah.

Today I meet her on the lawn, going out to Forks, and we fall to talking about Jacob. Since the golden couple of Edward and Bella are out hunting in Olympic National Park, for once I'm free of the constant eavesdropper in my head and voice my doubts freely, urging Leah to help Jake.

The answer of the bitch? She crosses her arms and pouts, her features turning nastier than usual as she scoffs her bare feet on the lawn. "Jacob's lucky he found someone. His soulmate will take care of him. Wish I had been able to find my imprint."

"Listen, babe, what about this particular child?" I shoot her a wink, trying to bring home the perils of the situation faced by the Alpha of her pack. "Renesmee's a hybrid, for chrissakes! She bites Jacob plenty when she can perfectly well feed on other animals and leave him alone! She has the same lack of self-control as her mother! Did ya get that, babe? What makes you think she's not gonna suck Jacob dry one of these days?"

She glares at me. "Jacob has a special bond with the child. He's safe with her. I'm positive she'd never hurt him, or cause him discomfort."

"I've heard him groan in pain when Renesmee feeds on him; leaves him very weak too."

"So what?" Leah glances around and walks away, calling over her shoulder, "He's just making happy sounds because he is fulfilling her every wish, which is what an imprint does anyways."

I shake my head at the unpleasant recollection, brought to the present by the tired wolf. Jacob's falling asleep on the coach and he's wiggling, finally laying his head on my shoulder. Gazing down at Jacob's striking profile, I rage at my family.

Carlisle, the head of the coven and the one that should impose order, simply turns his sculpted head away and doesn't give a shit. As for the others? Esme; my once dear Rosalie; Alice; and Jasper – they all don't give a damn. They're too caught up in the pull of the golden couple's happily ever after to care much that Jacob is in real danger.

Aren't Bella and Edward afraid their precious child will go too far one of these days and kill Jacob? Not that they put any rules on that child. Renesmee is such a spoiled brat, doing what she wants when she wants to. And the worst thing is that everyone coddles her, foremost among them Jacob, his survival instincts waylaid by the imprint.

It's enough to drive me crazy.

Staring at the empty plasma screen, I ponder the way my family behaves.

Edward and Bella don't care about the rest of us, caught as they are in their tale in which they see each other reflected for eternity. They spend most of the time in Esme's cottage, making love like the Eveready bunny hopped on Viagra. The rest of the family can go to hell; after all, we have served our function as props to get them where they are today.

Only Esme has taken notice that Jacob's not as energetic as he used to be, lazily going through the motions so to speak.

Jasper says it is because Jake's weakened by the constant loss of blood, to which Bella answers, "How dare you think that? Renesmee wouldn't hurt him! She's just a child exploring her world. She just has to find her natural boundaries and nothing bad will come of it." With a snort directed Jacob's way, she finishes. "If Jacob's being lazy, why, that might have to do with his Native American heritage making itself known."

Edward, like the henpecked husband he's become, always nods his assent.

* * *

oOoOo

Jacob snores softly against my shoulder when I hear their car braking on the driveway. A few seconds later, Bella and Edward glide in, the picture of radiant health, holding between them Renesmee's arms.

Rosalie saunters behind them and by her thunderous expression directed at me, I feel the time has come to set my plans in motion.

"What are you doing cuddling that ugly mongrel?" She sneers, her beautiful features scrunching up in a mask of hate I've grown to despise. "I'll have to fumigate the couch or better yet, throw it away."

"Better a dog than a shallow mannequin that hasn't satisfied me for far too long," I snarl at her. Scrunching up my eyebrows, I let a thought I've been harboring rise to my consciousness. _'Wish I could fumigate our rooms to get them rid of your nasty bitch scent, Rose.'_

Rosalie scoffs and glides up the stairs while Edward, predictably, makes a big fuss out of what he has just scooped from my mind.

He raises his arms and glares at me, his voice dropping scorn, "You're too much, Emmett! Why do you insist on antagonizing Rosalie over this?" He sweeps his hands to indicate Jacob, still asleep due to the loss of blood.

"What happened to my sweet brother?" Edward ruffles his hair, staring at me with those golden eyes which I realize are as empty as the rest of him. "Why have you changed so much?"

"Have you thought it is you? Your perfect fairy tale gives me hope I can have a shot, too." I smile soothingly at him, not ready to reveal my cards yet. The beauty of my words is that they are the truth. Edward will take them as they are, not bothering to analyze the backhanded compliment. Then I shrug, taking care to adopt a wounded expression for the benefit of my remaining audience.

"I'm going upstairs," huffs Edward and then glances down at his wife. "Coming, dear?"

"In a while," Bella says.

After Edward storms up the stairs, I hunch down my shoulders, my fingers idly playing with the armrest of the couch while I sigh brokenly.

"Sorry for Edward's outburst," she says.

I take a deep, unneeded breath as I prepare to lay my trap, because in order to do what I must, I need protection. It tickles my Machiavellian side to glean that security from Bella.

"Edward's been a pain in the ass, ever since the troubles with Rosalie started." I cock my chin at the sleeping wolf. "Jacob is just another thing for Rosalie to rile me about. She won't ever stop. I get angry at her and try to keep it in check for all your sakes, but my thoughts…"

"Edward reads your mind and gets mad at you in return," she says with the slightest hint of sympathy.

I nod slowly. "Now that Edward's got his perfect family, he wants the rest of us to fall in line and feel the same. I just… find it hard to keep up with Rosalie's steady jibes and bad humor, and when you add your husband's constant prying…"

My vampire eyes study Bella's face, gauging carefully the way her eyes widen and then narrow, the golden hue in her irises trembling for an instant. I follow the tiny movement of her fingers as she brushes her leather skirt. Her nostrils flare as she takes Jacob's scent on the couch, her face twisting in a slight grimace.

She shakes her head minutely, instantly dismissing the wolf's scent as she tilts up her delicate chin to gaze at me with resolution stamped in her features. Finally, she says in a whisper, "I want to make it easier for you, just until Rosalie and you get in the right track again. I can give you a little privacy."

"What do you mean, Bella?" I cock my eyebrow at her, hardly hoping that it will be so easy.

"It's my shield, dummy!" She leans forward and breathes into my ear. "I've been perfecting it. I can throw it around other people. Give them a permanent protection." She raises her chin and gazes upstairs. "I've done it with Renesmee and Edward, no reason I couldn't do it with you."

Jacob moans in his sleep, his warm chin nestled on my shoulder, and I can't help but wonder if the wolf is aware of the betrayal implicit in Bella's words. Instead of extending the protection of her shield to her best friend, she chooses to bestow it on me.

For a few seconds, Bella scrunches up her face in concentration and then rises from the couch. "Now you're safe from Edward reading your thoughts. It ought to give you the space you need to mend things with Rosalie."

I nod humbly, but it's all I can do not to smirk at her. In shielding my thoughts from her pushy husband, Bella makes it possible to do what I've wanted for months.

Set Jacob free.

* * *

oOoOo

Bella, Edward and their spawn have taken up the coven, it seems. I have no idea Jasper shares my feelings until one morning.

It starts when I stroll through the entrance and notice Jacob on the living room, slouching on the couch as Renesmee's thin arms wrap around his broad shoulders. Her red hair seems to presage a curtain of fiery death around Jacob while she cants her chin delicately, her fangs piercing the strong neck that should not bow to anyone!

Jacob is so placid, his features so content it drives me mad. I stomp towards them, but before I cross the foyer, Jasper's cold arms wrap around me.

"Let them be," Jasper advises in a soft tone. When I furiously wrestle my way out of his grasp he takes a step back, his gaze widening in surprise.

Narrowing my eyes, I realize Jasper's surprised his soothing powers don't work on me, courtesy of Bella. Then he frowns inquisitively at Jacob and Renesmee, causing suspicion to bloom in my mind. I grab his arm and yank him towards the exit. He stumbles as he follows me down the stairs, the stray sunbeam striking sparks off his pockmarked skin.

"You've been using your powers on Jacob, right?" I hiss menacingly, jostling him towards the lawn. "Soothing him, making him more docile for our cute and deadly niece, right?"

Jasper scowls at me and yanks his arm free. "Course I have. It's the only thing I can do for the wolf."

He cocks his hips and stands tall as he jerks his chin at the house. "D'ya think sweet lil' Nessie would care at all if Jacob's uncomfortable and thrashes when she bites him? The little rapscallion would love to cause more damage! Might be the incentive she needs to finally drink him dry!"

"Why haven't you said anything?" I say in a whisper, my face slack due to this new development. It seems I am not the only one in the coven who takes notice of Jacob.

"The same reasons you haven't." Jasper waves at the house. "I've felt your interest and desire in Jacob, plus the unbearable guilt that comes from having your arms tied, unable to do something!"

"What can I do?" I ruffle my fingers through my hair in agitation. "Carlisle and Esme fully support the perfect couple, Rosalie is besotted with the bloodsucking little monster, and Alice is Bella's cheerleader through and through!"

Jasper steps towards the foyer and beckons me to follow. Noticing my concerned glance, he explains. "Alice won't see this conversation if we are near the Quileute boy, you see? I assure you you're not the only one that cares about Jacob. The kid reminds me of the fresh-faced officers under my command in the War. Honorable, cheerful fellows that had no inkling what they were getting into." He leans down his chin to stare forlornly at the ground. "Those gentlemen had no idea they were just cannon fodder for ambitious generals, so I tried to protect them as often as I could."

"So you want to help us?" I say, my hand on his shoulder.

"Bella is a complete drag, buddy," Jasper scoffs. "Insists on taking care of the business of the coven as if we are toddlers under her care. Worst thing is, Carlisle turns a blind eye!"

I nod in understanding. Seems I'm not the only male of the family that chaffs under her ministrations.

"Even dashed off to meet my contact when she planned Renesmee's escape, without even consulting me! That wisp of a girl!" Jasper growls deeply, his stance betraying his tight-coiled anger. "There's nothing much I can do, though, not with Alice observing my every move. The moment my dear wife has a vision incriminating us, she's bound to yell for Edward and Bella to intervene and all is lost."

"What can I do, then?" I grit out the words through my teeth, hating the helplessness I feel. Wonder if it is the same kind of feeling Jacob endures under the stupid imprint.

"With Bella's shield protecting you, which you conveniently procured, you have a lot of leeway." Jasper leans towards me, his amber eyes fixing me with an intense stare. "Way back when I commanded Maria's army, she mentioned something about this woman that can break bonds. She met her down in old Mexico."

* * *

tbc


	2. Chapter 2

"What did you say?" I step back from Jasper, knowing how our kind dislike close proximity while I stare at his windblown hair, giving him space to collect his thoughts. "This woman in Mexico can destroy the imprint?"

"You gotta understand Maria said that more than a hundred years ago. Reckon it was at the height of the Southern vampire wars, outside the dilapidated stone walls of this old mission in the Panhandle, newborn corpses pilin' up boot high before we burned them." Jasper sighs, shaking his head as if to dislodge the painful memories. "Too much was going on and the details are fuzzy in my mind."

Glancing at the living room, I heave a sigh of relief when I see Renesmee's tangled mop of red hair rising eerily from her crouching position above Jacob. The child notices my scrutiny and shoots me a winsome smile, her innocence belaying the thin streams of blood running down the corners of her lips. Then she glides away from the slumped wolf, gaily skipping towards the stairs as she waves at me nonchalantly. "Hi, Uncle Emmett!"

Watching Renesmee's harmless demeanor as she glides up the stairs to the sanctuary of her parents' bedroom, anger pierces my heart. In this moment I understand viscerally why the Volturi destroy undead children. Their innocence is but a trap, camouflaging the soulless predators inside.

"Emmet, bud! Snap out of it!" Jasper's cool voice yanks me back onto the moment, and I shake my head wryly. If anything, this surreal scene out of a nasty videogame further spurs me to find the solution to Jacob's plight.

I notice movement in the couch as Jacob props himself up on his elbows, shooting me a tired smile as he stifles a yawn. "Guess I was out of the loop, huh? Hope Nessie has fed well."

My fingers twitch with the need to scoop up that strong body in my arms and carry Jacob far away, to keep him safe before he becomes a husk of his former self. I can't do it, though. Jacob would fight me tooth and nail and eventually return here, for his mind is trapped like a vise by the damned imprint.

Jasper nudges my elbow, his whisper so low only my keen hearing picks it up from the swishing of the boughs in the lawn. "Your wolf needs distraction. Use this time while I soothe the golden couple upstairs. I'mma take care our lil' red rapscallion won't feel the need to feed for a while."

Nodding my thanks at my brother, I dash towards Jacob.

* * *

oOoOo

"C'mon, Emm, this isn't fair!" Jacob huffs, his bronze chest twitching under my cold skin. My fingers claw around his bound wrists as I pin him to the lawn, the football we are playing with forgotten near the balustrade.

"So throw me off, big boy!" Shooting him a smirk, I nudge my thigh between his rough cutoffs, a sharp spike of desire shooting through my body at the soft bulge I rub against while Jacob tries to jostle me and get free.

Pearls of sweat mat his black hair and drip down the smooth planes of russet cheeks as Jacob valiantly heaves up his torso in an attempt to throw me off.

"Is this all you can do, Jake?" I breathe above him, my other hand sneaking down to poke his abs.

Jacob glares at me. "Last time we played I threw you off, man!"

"Yep, but that was two months ago," I say, trying to keep my voice neutral and free from bitterness. "Seems Esme hasn't been feeding you well."

"But she has…"

"You need more, wolf." On the spur of the moment, I decide on a plan of action. I squat over him and pull him up by his arms until he's crouching on the grass, the sinews of his thick thighs flexing with effort.

I pick up my beige tee and drape it over my shoulder and stand up, glancing down at him. "You need a good ol' American meal to fill those big bones of yours. There's a new eatery up Bogachiel Way. Whaddaya say? The treat's on me!"

"Gotta say I miss a crunchy burger or ten, Emm. Appreciate it, man."

I have to grin at Jacob because the boyish smile he shoots my way is truly infectious. Makes me yearn for the time when he will be free, a day when I don't have to sneak him out of the house while Jasper unobtrusively uses his powers to calm the beasts that reside in our house - those people that just use Jacob and haven't ever shown the slightest consideration for him.

Jacob leans down to pick up his plaid shirt, and then stands up to pull it over his head.

"What are you doing, man?" I cock my chin at the shirt. "Do you have to put that ugly thing on?"

"Sorry, Emm. Bella and Edward insist I can't go shirtless like before. Ever since the imprint, they nag me so I look respectable for Nessie."

I roll my eyes at that and glance up at the house while I mentally send them to the nether hells.

"Our golden couple is busy at the mo, wolf. Please don't listen to every idiotic thing those wimps come up with, ok?" I pat his shoulder and then splay my fingers on his back, luxuriating on the touch of the warm, supple skin. "Today's our day and we are going to have fun. Tell you what; you can put your ugly shirt back on when we're at the diner."

* * *

oOoOo

It is a pleasure watching Jacob wolf down his fourth burger, garnished with pickles, mustard and chili galore.

"What were your plans, Jake? Before the whole Bella situation I mean." I slouch down on the chair, going through the motion of raising the Coke to my cold lips.

"Nothing much, I'm afraid." Jacob shrugs, mopping up the chili with a big fry. "Finish school and then get a loan from Dad to set up my auto workshop." He gives me a fleeting grin. "I love cars, taking them apart, fiddling with the parts and putting them back together. There'd be plenty of customers from the Rez for a start, and Paul's uncle promised he would send clients my way. Then expand into Forks, maybe."

Thinking of my huge-ass car, I smile in satisfaction. "Cars are awesome."

"Way simpler than women. They don't turn on you, long as you take proper care of them."

Grabbing the paper napkin, I lean forward and tilt down my chin to stare at him. There's a speck of chili sauce on the corner of his pouty lips and I swipe the napkin across the smooth skin to rub it off. Jacob cranes his neck and gazes at me with wide eyes.

There are so many things I want to do at this moment; rub my thumb on his chapped bottom lip, cup his cheeks between my thumbs and lean farther to kiss him.

The thing is, Jacob trusts me as his only friend in our house. He's under the compulsion of the imprint and will fight any perceived betrayal on his part. His wolf will be in agony.

The kiss? It'll fill him with remorse and destroy the magic moment we weave together.

I've no doubt Bella would suck on Jacob's tongue and writhe on his arms if there was the slightest advantage for her. God knows she's done it plenty of times. Edward would just smirk at Jacob and tear down the boy's illusions like so many castles on the sand. Then he would order Jacob's help in saving Bella yet again. All the while, no words of thanks ever escaping his prim lips.

I can't be like them! I refuse to use Jacob like a convenient tool, to be discarded until I have need of him again. If and when I kiss him, Jacob must be free to react as he will. Slap and beat me, maybe; or hopefully kiss me back just as hotly.

So I essay a weak smile while I recline on the wooden chair. "You're an enterprising man, Jake."

"Huh-huh." Jacob shrugs and goes back to his meal. "Emm, what's the matter with you? You're so serious all of a sudden you kinda scare me, really."

"Nothing much, wolf."

Strangely, his apparel brings to my mind the memory of strapping fellows with bulging arms encased in similar plaid shirts. Tough guys that have your back when they aren't ribbing you to death, a wry smirk on their faces as they climb up the trees to do their job. I'd been too much of a coward to try anything openly with those studs beyond groping and hand jobs, but now…

And in the midst of it all, the unparalleled beauty of the copses of oaks in Tennessee, the breeze ruffling your shirt as you climb up the rough bark, your attention solely on the job at hand or it might just kill you. The sounds of the blue jays and goldfinches screeching up above, the wild animals prowling in the woods whose vitality you admire because it reminds you of your own.

Looking at Jacob sitting in front of me, I know it is this feeling that drives me to him. Jacob's vigor pulls me towards him; the shades of his body make me feel at home; his doggone tenacity reminds me of my own. As I gaze into his brown gaze, I feel time melting away.

I've come home at last.

"Don't want to ruffle your feathers, man." Jacob's raspy voice brings me back to the present as he grins at me before swooping down to finish the last burger. "But you look like the head honcho of the vamps with that goofy grin."

I laugh heartily at that. Jacob has the uncanny knack to defuse any tense situation when he wants. Of course, he's also a very hot-headed guy whose razor wit can cut you down.

I won't have him any other way.

More than anything at this moment, I want to tell Jacob that I'm intent on setting him free and get him away from the rest of my cloying family. But I know my words will remain indelibly in his mind and certainly they will be picked up by Edward's powers - and then all my plans will be for nought.

So I fiddle with the cold Coke can for a few seconds and then glance up at him, a sigh escaping my lips. "I wish I could speak sooth to you…"

Noticing Jake's furrowed eyebrows, I shrug. "It's a figure of speech I heard a lot from the pastor in Gatlinburg."

"Gatlinburg?" Jake pushes away the plate, raising his fist to cover his mouth and burp discreetly. "That where you were born?"

"Yep, in old Tennessee."

"Bet you were mama's boy, going to sermons and all." Jacob shoots me a sly grin, and then raises his cola to gulp it down.

"On the contrary, wolf." I puff up my chest. "Gotta say that working on the railroad and the woods, you don't meet sophisticated gents like Edward. Loved Ma and Pa with all my heart, went to church and all, but you know how I am. "

"A womanizer, huh?" Jacob nudges my elbow and shoots me a conspiratorial smile. "Bet all the pretty young ladies in town swooned at your feet."

"And a few cute guys too," I blurt out.

Jacob ducks his head, his cheeks turning a burnished copper while he plays with his fork. "That's… interesting."

* * *

oOoOo

I push the pedal and swing the wheel just so to park the car in front of the house, avoiding the garage because I'm planning a trip to the bank in Port Angeles. I'm exchanging a considerable amount of cash from our accounts into portable checks and untraceable credit cards, and I'm sure Alice is gonna balk – as if she has to work a day in her life to get that money – but I have the perfect excuse. I've laid the glossy brochure for the newest BMW i8, completely customized, the leather seats ready to mold around Rosalie's cold rump. I can also point out the expenses of our umpteenth wedding trip to Cape Town with the concomitant safari.

I'm afraid Rose will have to go on her own, though. I'll be too busy escaping with Jacob.

"There you are, Jake." I cock my chin at the door.

"Thanks for the good time, Emm," Jacob mumbles as he opens the door of the car.

I feel the vibrations of his big body on the leather seat as Jake shrinks back, and then I glance out of the windshield. Sure enough, Edward is standing in front of the house with arms crossed and a frown on his face.

"Geez, what the hell did I do now?" growls Jacob.

"Nothing, kiddo." I pat his leg. "Grumpy here is probably angry because there's no Viagra for vamps and he can't get it up for old Bella anymore." Jake snickers and heaves himself out of the car.

Meanwhile, I rush to the passenger's side and stare at Edward.

"We need to talk." Edward's face is foreboding as he motions to the entrance. "And please abstain from your juvenile taunts."

I shrug and glide alongside him, Jacob a few steps behind. After we enter the foyer and take the stairs, Edward pauses for a moment, his fingers gripping the banister as he turns to Jacob.

"This is not your business, Jacob; I will discuss subjects not suitable for boys. Why don't you entertain Renesmee? She's been asking for you."

Glancing down, I notice Jacob's fingers gripping the banister which starts to shake, cracks running lengthwise. The wolf growls and shoots Edward a vicious glare, his other hand grabbing the lower edge of the banister and yanking it out of its sockets with a deep wrenching sound.

Jacob heaves the banister so it slaps Edward's leering face while shards rain all around us.

"Fuck you, leech!" Jacob spits at him. "Condescending much? Where would you be if the pack hadn't saved your sorry ass with the Volturi?"

Edward snarls and crouches, ready to jump on Jacob but for my arms gripping his middle like a tight vise.

Trying to salvage the situation, I lean down to whisper in Edward's ear. "The Quileute has a very good point, brother. And frankly, your condescension towards everyone in this family stinks to high heaven. You had better watch out!"

I feel Edward's body sagging against my arms, and the vibrations of soft footsteps on the stairs tell me the whole story. Jasper is coming towards us and using his powers to defuse the situation.

"Please, gentlemen. Don't make a spectacle," he says while Edward's marble body becomes limber next to mine. "Let us discuss this upstairs."

Jacob's nostrils flare as he lets go of the chunk of wood he still holds, and it falls down the stairs with an echoing clatter. "Jasper, I…"

"Renesmee is in one of her moods," Jasper says with a shrug. "I'm afraid only your presence possesses enough authority to soothe her."

"Where's Bella?" Jacob asks, taking deep breaths in an effort to calm himself.

"Bella and Alice went to Seattle to get a crack at the latest Balenciaga perfume." Jasper glides up the stairs, calling over his shoulder. "Don't know why they bother, though, smells like skunk to me."

* * *

oOoOo

"This shield Bella placed on you is driving me mad!" Edward growls as he paces back and forth in his music room.

"I've told you, man. Your wife was doing me a favor, granting me privacy while I work out things with Rosalie." I shrug, scooting forward on the chair to cross my legs. This furniture is too narrow for me.

"Is it working?" Edward cocks his eyebrow at me.

"It ought to. I'm regaling Rose with a brand new BMWi8, a wedding in South Africa and a safari. These things always manage to tickle her fancy, and I usually get a few months of respite out of it."

"Admirable thinking, Emmett." Jasper nods at me from his position in front of the window, a slight smile curling up the corners of his lips.

"I don't approve of your fights, Emmett," Edward says. "I want the perfect environment for Renesmee."

"You don't set the best example, brother; you were ready to attack Jacob. Have you forgotten he imprinted on Renesmee?" I narrow my eyes in concentration, for this is a godsend opportunity to fish out information from Edward. I might learn a lot with Jasper's powers distracting him. Then again, I reflect it would do me well to appeal to Edward's vanity; God knows he's as conceited as his wife. "Are you acting like a jealous father already?"

"It's not only that." Edward says with a sly grin. "Renesmee was ill at ease with Jacob's absence. Why did you two go out?"

Edward leans toward the shelf to nervously pick a book, and then puts it back in its place again.

"That's my doing, Edward." Jasper steps towards us from his place in the corner, sticking his hands in his leather coat, and for a moment I can imagine what a dashing figure he must have cut in his Confederate uniform way before he met Maria.

Edward cocks his eyebrow at him as Jasper saunters towards the desk, reclining on the polished wood with a poise that would make models faint with envy.

"I suggested to Emmett he should take Jacob out for a while. Wild wolves don't react well to captivity and obviously Jacob needs fresh air, plus…"

"I got that from the gist of your thoughts," Edward confirms."Is there more?"

"You'll forgive me if I can't help but think strategically," Jasper says with feigned concern. "I visualize threats to Bella, to you, and Renesmee and try to counteract them."

"Good." Edward nods in satisfaction.

"Maria is still alive as far as I know," Jasper says with a serious mien. "She might have hidden weapons, so to speak. I mentioned this to Emmett just before he went out with Jacob. In fact I suggested he should find out information from the Quileute boy about that."

"I doubt it. Jacob doesn't even know what day it is." Edward leers.

"He might have contacts among the other tribes," Jasper says calmly. "Anyway, Maria boasted of a woman who could nullify bonds. She said her name was Cecilia or something like that. It was so long ago I've mostly forgotten."

"I see. I approve of your thinking." Edward steeples his fingers while he stares at me. The intensity makes me shiver and thank Bella for her shield.

A few seconds pass, measured by the steady metronome of my wolf's heartbeat downstairs until Edward stands up. "I read the memory in your head, Jasper. Maria wasn't talking about a common vampire, though. And her name most certainly wasn't Cecilia. You must have been stressed from the battle and thus fudged the memory."

I shake my head and shoot an admiring glance at Jasper. He is really able to shrug off Edward's condescension, which is more than Jacob and I can do.

Then again, Jasper's had a lot of practice with Alice.

"So who's this babe?" I raise my eyebrow at him.

"She came to Forks recently, remember?" Edward says.

"A Volturi?" Jasper nods slightly.

"Yes, her name is Chelsea. She is Aro's secret weapon, able to forge and destroy bonds at will."

* * *

oOoOo

I close softly Carlisle's office door and glide inside. Edward boasts that our creator keeps a handy file with the telephone numbers to contact the most important Volturi, so I've made my way here.

I glance at the lonely laptop on the huge desk and pass it by in favor of the cabinet that holds the files for Carlisle's important patients. Carlisle is an ancient and surely acts like one. I'm sure he eschews electronics in favor of trusty paper.

It takes some wrangling, cajoling the steel cabinet until it coughs up its secrets. The list is safely tucked away under a sheaf of innocuous CAT scans, or whatever the glossy stuff is.

I hate to betray Carlisle's trust like this, but it seems the head of the coven is not up to the formidable task of reining in Bella, Edward, and their spawn. Carlisle and sweet Esme refuse to see what stares them in the eyes: that a member of their coven – for that is what Jacob has become – is being unduly hurt.

A few words of Carlisle's authority would suffice to dispense justice, but at this stage I doubt very much I will ever hear them from his lips.

I'm fully convinced that the succor I find in the Cullens, the protection I want to believe dwells within the Olympic coven, is nothing but an illusion. I can't help but compare them to my old folks in Tennessee, and they end up short. We were poor for sure, but always cared about each other.

Now I see the Cullens as two-faced liars, with one set of rules for the golden couple and their spawn, and another completely different for outsiders like Jacob that are willing and able to function within the coven.

And my wife? Rosalie is the worst of the lot. Besotted with the spawn, she hardly pays attention to me nowadays. She's always putting Jacob down, sneering at him, scorn twisting the visage I've grown to detest.

Seventy years living with this shrew is quite enough. Women in Tennessee aren't like that; sure, they might not look like they have just stepped out from the latest Playboy centerfold, but they are down to earth, supportive and warm.

Jacob Black is the fulcrum that's shifted my perceptions. He feels like home to me, those innocent times spent working with my brothers in the railroad and felling trees in the summers. The innocent flash of his smile is so heartwarming; I must protect him until the strength of his wolf returns - his wildness that mirrors so closely the memories of my childhood.

As I punch Chelsea's number in my cell phone, I know the task of setting my wolf free falls squarely on my shoulders.

"Who is it?" says a sweet voice with a faint English accent. Seems oddly familiar, though.

"This is Emmett… McCarty." I gulp. Since I will severe my ties to the Olympic Coven, it is fitting that I renounce my old name and become plain Emmett McCarty once again.

* * *

tbc


	3. Chapter 3

"Emmett?" The lilting at the end of the word tells me why the voice sounds so familiar.

"Chels? Is that you?" I breathe a sigh of relief while I push away Carlisle's laptop to sit down on his desk, cradling the tiny phone in my hands. "Remember Africa?"

"How could I forget that, old friend?" she drawls.

During one of our honeymoons, Rosalie was in an Anthropology kick and we made a detour to Olduvai Gorge, the setting sun brandishing the layers of rock a crisp ochre. Made it easy to see the newborns attacking this cloaked dame.

"Hope no one has pounced on you again," I whisper, my thumb on the screen limned in the blue glow percolating from the phone.

As was her wont, Rosalie refused to help but I couldn't let the pretty lady down the gorge to the inexistent mercy of the newborns. I jumped down the cliff and crossed the crevasse in a few seconds to help her.

"It's been quite a while! Tell me, how have you been? Still stuck with your boring bombshell of a mate?" she says in a rush.

I have to shake my head at my own foolishness. Since the Volturi protect fiercely their women, I never came near the coterie of Aro's associates in the confrontation with the Volturi. Never even realized the slim vampiress I saved that day is this powerful Chelsea everyone's in awe of.

"Actually, that's what I want to talk to you about." I fidget, my gaze concentrating on the screen of the phone until I'm able to make out the individual pixels. Funny how they just swim along in the dark matrix without any connection to each other, yet from a distance they create pictures.

Then I square my shoulders, the cotton fabric of my shirt uncomfortably taut against my cold skin as I take the plunge. "Can you come to Forks? I have urgent need of your special talent to save a friend of mine."

"It's not going to be easy," she murmurs. "That little expedition to Africa and its aftermath made Aro even more suspicious, though I do believe I can make myself scarce for a few days."

"Listen, babe, don't come to the Cullen house, ok? Just wait for me in Port Angeles." I stick my hand in the pocket of my Wranglers, feeling like the newbie I was the first time my big brother dared me to climb up a pine by myself.

"I'll meet you there in four days, Emmett."

Pocketing the phone, I stroll out of the office, taking care to leave everything as it was. Doesn't matter though, by the time Carlisle realizes I've been in his office, it'll be too late. Chels' timing is perfect because everyone is going hunting; it'll give me the time to pull off my plan. I rub my fingers on the rough denim on my thigh, suddenly full of nerves. This is Jacob's life I am taking in my hands, and I won't allow this chance for him to be free to evade my grasp.

* * *

oOoOo

On Friday, Bella and Edward join the rest of the Cullens, conveniently taking away their little demon with the excuse of teaching her to hunt. So Jacob and I are playing videogames in the living room.

I cock my chin at the plate with half-eaten sandwiches on the table. "You're not eating well. Want us to make a detour and go to the Bogachiel diner?"

Jacob slouches further down the couch, his t-shirt riding up his hips and baring a tantalizing glimpse of bronzed skin. He cranes his neck to glance at the screen, raising his hand to cover his yawn. "Would love to, man, but I feel all woozy and tired."

Glancing at the perfect plane of his smooth cheeks, I notice the shadows under his eyes. "Been patrolling a lot?"

"There's that, for sure." Jake heaves a tired sigh and turns to me to shoot me a wan smile. "It's just that… Nessie wants to spend more time with me, and I guess she gets carried away when she's hungry."

Jacob utters these words in such a hopeless monotone it makes me boil inside. If my cherub-faced niece, the little fucking demon, is ever in my sight, I won't be able to contain myself.

I'm not aware of the game controller crumbling under my tight grip until Jacob reaches down to wrap his warm fingers around my wrist. "Wassup, man? What's got you so upset?"

How can I free my wolf without letting him know everything? This is the time to open up to him and win him to the cause of his freedom. I have to speak sooth to Jacob, level the field and offer him an informed choice. Something everyone else in Forks has failed to do.

I won't clam up and decide his life for him, like the Elders of his tribe that kept his heritage secret from him and did not prepare him for the nerve-wracking experience of phasing; to Bella and her endless dissembling; and the Cullens with their Olympic indifference.

"You're scaring me, Emm! You who are the nicest person here." Jake pleads, his gaze sliding tiredly around the room. "Don't just growl like an angry bear!"

"What about Bella? She is your best friend after all."

"She doesn't care about me, man. Too caught up in her perfect romance with Edward," he sighs brokenly, his gaze fixing on the floor.

My face twitches at the despair in his voice, and my arm reaches slowly to wrap his shoulders in a hug, giving him a light squeeze so he will continue.

"What about Renesmee?" I whisper.

"Nessie's unreachable, Emmett, belongs to another world – to the fantasy Edward and Bella created when they married." Jacob hunches down his shoulders. "I wish I never met Bella."

I just nod, giving Jacob space to compose himself. His broken stance tells me he just needs a friend to hear him out, an ear that won't immediately brand him as weak. I can certainly do that for him.

"When I imprinted I thought my problems were solved, that I had found the love of my life." He takes a deep breath. "Nessie's so volatile, though, so… obsessed with me."

"You mean, obsessed with your blood."

"Whatever." Jacob lifts his chin to stare at the ceiling, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down in agitation. "What can I do, though? She's my imprint."

"What if I tell you I've found the way to break the imprint?" I whisper, my thumb rubbing against his hot palm. "Will you take the chance?"

He gives me a fleeting grin. "All my life I wanted to be a normal guy, Emmett. To fiddle with my bikes, get better as a mechanic and then open up a shop." Jacob sits straight on the couch, his hand going to his head to yank his short-cropped hair in agitation. "And then the damned phasing got to me, made me a werewolf endlessly patrolling Forks so nothing would happen to Bella. And when Bella died?" Jake slumps against my shoulder, his breathing ragged as he seeks to compose himself. "I was heartbroken, sure, but I had done everything I could to protect her. She died because of her own choices. I had nothing to do with it."

"I can see that," I say with all the calm I'm able to muster.

"Can you understand that, man? That feeling of devastation, yet at the same time this huge weight lifting off my shoulders? I'd done everything for Bella, but in mourning her I was home free too. Discharged all my obligations to the girl I loved and could follow my own life now."

I pat his shoulders, my arm tight around him as I nod slowly.

"And then Blondie showed up with the baby, and I imprinted and was back in this hell all over again. Living this nightmare forever. Turns out I've never been free!"

"Not forever, kiddo, not if I can help it." Jacob's words make my undead heart flutter in pain, but they also give me hope he'll be receptive to my idea. I stand up, pulling on his arm to yank him up.

"What do you mean?" he says tiredly.

"I'll tell you in the car." I point at the door and splay my hand on his broad shoulder, nudging him forward. "Do you have something special you want to carry with you?"

"Nope. Why do you ask?"

I jerk my chin at the front door of the Cullen house as I fish out the car keys from my pocket. "We are not coming back to this place. It's a new life for us, Jake."

* * *

oOoOo

Chelsea glides out of the fog that surrounds the rickety dock in this abandoned corner of Port Angeles, a surreal ghost that comes straight at us, her cloak bathed by the soft moonlight. The choppy sea behind her stretches into the horizon as she comes to a graceful stop in front of us.

"Chels," I nod shallowly and then raise my hand towards Jacob. "This is Jacob Black, the young man I want you to set free. He is a shifter whose imprint has lasted but a short while. The imprintee is the selfish child Aro wanted to get rid of, if you remember?"

"The child that is called Renesmee," Chelsea says with a nod, her cowl obscuring her features but for her ruby eyes.

"Exactly. I don't think Jacob's imprint is as strong as it would be if it was woven with true love."

She turns her head towards Jacob. "Do you agree to this procedure, young man?"

Jacob bites his bottom lip and shoots me a nervous look before he squares his shoulders. "I want to be free, whatever it takes."

Jacob's anguished expression twists my conscience. What if the breaking of the bond doesn't work? How can I put him in jeopardy without testing the waters first?

I'm just the same as my whiny brother and his selfish wife.

So I glance at Chelsea and step forward. "There's something I want you to do first, Chelsea."

"What is it, sweet Emmett?"

"I want you to destroy my bond to my blond mate – what is left of it – and to the rest of the Cullens."

Jacob clutches my arm and shouts, "The hell, Emmett? It's fine for me to risk everything and get out of my own mess, but you don't have to!" He jerks me around so I face him, the moonlight pooling on dark eyes which scorch my body. "Don't do it, man. If I lose you I lose everything!"

I shake my head firmly. "This is what I have to do."

"What about Blondie?" His grip on my arm is so tight it makes me shudder, but Jacob is unaware of that as his hand brushes my cheek.

"My wife?" I snort. "I can barely stand the shrew anymore. It'll be a relief, let me tell you. And before you ask about the rest of my so-called family - I've lost faith in Carlisle and Esme; Alice I can't stand with her bossing me around, and I cordially detest Bella and Edward."

"Seems you've made up your mind, Emm," Jacob says hoarsely. "And I have to respect that. Just… just take care, man."

He hugs me tight as my thumb traces a path down his smooth cheek, smothering the lonely teardrop that glistens in the moonlight. I tilt down my chin to stare at his handsome face as my hand creeps up his shoulder.

It is at the edge of this stormy sea, in front of the Volturi that silently watches us, that I become sure of my feelings.

The bonds that tie me will be easy to break because they have lost any strength they ever had. Gazing at Jacob's worried expression, the furrows in his brow in sharp relief, my heart knows I've found something much better.

I lean towards him and it is all I can do not to wrestle him to the ground and have my wicked way with him. But I can't do it until he is free and comes to me of his own volition.

My wolf has to be free.

I recall fondly that intrepid boy in Tennessee that dreamed of climbing up trees and making a name for himself as a great woodsman, and I know part of that boy lingers in the vampire I've become – the man that yearns to protect and cherish the young wolf by my side.

Chelsea interrupts my reverie, though. She coughs gently and points up at the shrouded moon. "I hate to disturb this romantic moment between you guys, but my time is running short."

"Aro?" I say softly.

"Something like that." Chelsea nudges her cowl aside and steps towards me. "I must tell you that your decision makes things easier for Aro. The Olympic Coven won't have the werewolves to hide behind or your considerable strength."

"Be that as it may, I'm ready." I manage a weak smirk, knowing that Edward and Alice's powers are still formidable, but no match for the Volturi. I would love watching them fight the Volturi without the help of Jacob and his pack.

Chelsea stares at me, her red eyes holding my gaze to her intense face. I feel a relentless pressure on my chest, an invisible hand seeking to pull my undead heart out of my ribs. I fall down to my knees, barely conscious of Jacob's arms around me holding me up. Then the pressure leaves me just as swiftly as it started.

I feel weak and disoriented, but still me.

"Emmett, for chrissakes talk to me! It looks like a newborn punched you!" Despite the serious situation, I delight in the concern evinced in Jake's worried voice, and the warmth of his fingers caressing my face. With a heartfelt grunt, I manage to stand up and shoot a brief smile at Chelsea.

"It's funny," she says as she shakes her head. "When I negated your bonds, it felt like you had a wisp of another's power inside you."

"Bella's shield," I mumble.

"That tiny power remains trapped within you, given that I cordoned it off from the original source," Chelsea muses. "Like an orphan, an echo of the original if you will, it lingers on."

"You mean I'm going to be protected by her shield from now on?" I turn to Jake and grab him in a half hug.

Chelsea shrugs. "It's what my instincts tell me." She glides towards Jacob and raises her arm to touch his leather jacket. "And now to break the bond that shackles this young man."

Jacob reaches his arm towards me and my fingers intertwine with his. My thumb grazes his calloused palm while I close my eyes, savoring the vision of my wolf resolutely facing Chelsea.

It might be all I will ever have of him, if Chelsea fails and Jacob dies at the result of the broken imprint.

"Look at me, Jacob Black," Chelsea says.

My wolf stares into her face with the fortitude that defines him. In those few seconds in which Chelsea breaks the imprint, I bemoan the chains fate has laid on Jake again and again.

Jacob is a noble creature of the wild, created to roam the woods as he pleases. He's certainly not the domesticated pet the Cullens think they own.

Meanwhile, Jacob falls lifelessly to the dock, and only my vampire reflexes enable me to loop my arm around his waist and catch him. I hoist him up bridal style, shooting an inquiring look at Chelsea.

"The deed is done," she says simply.

"That's fine, Chels," I growl. "But did it work?"

"The imprint proved tricky, which is why he will be out for a long while."

"But…." I prod her.

"It's completely gone," she tilts her head consideringly. "There was a strange flavor to Jacob's bond; unlike our own, it tasted… artificial. At any rate, this imprint is but a weaker version of our bond." Chelsea gives me a warm smile. "Fret not, sweet Emmett, for your young man is forever free of _la sua cantante_."

I nod curtly, my jaws clenched tight in anger; so the mighty imprint everyone told me was indestructible wasn't that resilient at all.

I turn my head to thank Chelsea, but she is gone. All I notice are faint foggy trails rising up to the cloudy night sky at the end of the rickety wharf.

* * *

oOoOo

I run towards my car bearing my precious gift, but it seems the troubles of this night are far from over. My keen hearing alerts me to the faint footsteps up ahead whose rhythm I know well. Edward is coming.

I am caught in a bind. Don't want to face my former brother and have it out with him while Jacob is unconscious. He may prevail and overpower me and then bring Jacob back to Forks, to try to restore the situation once again.

Jake's imprint certainly made things easier for him and Bella.

I choose to hide instead. Where, though? Glancing down at my wolf, I know his scent is a dead giveaway. I have to mask it somehow.

Turns out we're lucky. My nose leads me to the building at the other end of the wharf, a fishery. The smell will surely cover us. I make my way to the brick wall, managing to open the steel door that guards the entrance without noise. I sneak inside clutching Jacob's unconscious body and find my way next to the big fridge. Holding my wolf with one arm, I manage to wrench open the door of the fridge to spread the odor all around us, and then sit down to wait.

I hope that Chelsea is right, and the protection of Bella's shield lingers on. I manage a smirk at the thought that Edward will be thwarted by the powers of his precious wife.

Listening to Edward's steps going back and forth along the length of the dock, I lay the wolf on the floor and pat my jacket, sighing at the comforting bulge of the thick sheaf of credit cards and checks.

The first thing I did was cash the checks and deposit the amount in international banks. It took a lot of stealth, but I grabbed the credit cards they sent to my postal office box in Port Angeles.

Alice obviously saw through these maneuvers, though. I've no doubt she became suspicious and alerted Edward. Maybe even had a vision of Chelsea coming here.

Those pesky meddlers forgot something, though - Bella's shield. It's part of me now. If Chelsea is correct, it was trapped in the mystical moment when the bonds to my erstwhile family broke. As long as that remains the case, I am free from Alice's pesky meddling and Edward blundering around in my mind.

As if to highlight this fact, Edward's footsteps grow weaker until they disappear, lost in the pitter-patter of the soft rain that starts to fall on the quiescent city. I will give Edward two hours to get his skinny ass out of here while I cuddle with the wolf.

Jacob seems at peace, though. Gone is the slight frown he always wears even when he sleeps in the middle of our living room, or after I beat his ass fair and square playing football.

Near the break of dawn, I walk out of the building, cradling Jacob's warm body, his head laying against my chest. I walk towards the Ford Fiesta I rented on Port Angeles and open the door, laying him down carefully on the back seat. Then I hop through the front door and hum in contentment.

Edward and Alice surely expect us to head up north to seek refuge with the Denalis, so of course I will take a different route. East towards Montana.

Fiddling with the radio, I turn on the car and drive out of Port Angeles, leaving it behind. The weather forecast looks promising, cloudy weather to the Rockies and beyond.

We will gather our strength in the ranch I rented in Montana, in the middle of nowhere. And if some stray sunbeams fall on me, there will be no one to see except Jacob.

oOoOo

* * *

_Next, the conclusion_


	4. Chapter 4

_**AN:** The legend of the wolf and bear in this chapter is of my own devising._

_**Warnings:**__ NC-17, graphic sex, rimming._

* * *

"_All stories are about wolves. All worth repeating, that is. Anything else is sentimental drivel._

_All of them?_

_Sure, he says. Think about it. There's escaping from the wolves, fighting the wolves, capturing the wolves, taming the wolves. Being thrown to the wolves, or throwing others to the wolves so the wolves will eat them instead of you. Running with the wolf pack. Turning into a wolf. Best of all, turning into the head wolf. No other decent stories exist."_

Margaret Atwood

* * *

In the afternoon we reach the ranch on the outskirts of Gallatin National Forrest in Montana, half an hour south from Livingston. I chose the location for its strategic place next to an ample reserve of game where we will both have the freedom of the woods; though I'm afraid I will have to leave the bears in peace. Listening to the radio, the Lieutenant Governor appears to be intent on fostering a conservation scheme of sorts.

The place is sparsely inhabited, and I trust that in the shelter of the tall conifers, his huge wolf frame won't attract the same attention it would a few miles south in Yellowstone.

I could have made the trip in half the time, but I didn't want to brave the danger of triggering a radar trap and be stopped by the police. I would have to explain the condition of my passenger.

Jacob huddles in the front seat, his brow pearly with sweat as he tries to fight off the consequences of breaking the imprint. We stopped hours ago in a small town in Idaho or Washington, I'm not sure which. Managed to get hot food into my wolf.

The road is old and has lots of potholes. Guess that's the price for the secluded location.

"Emm, are we there yet?" Jacob swipes the sweat off his forehead with his palm.

I glance down at the GPS device. "The dratted thing here says two miles."

"Good." He sits up straight on the seat, stretching his long legs on the confining space of the Fiesta. "Sorry I was out for so long. My wolf feels…"

"Disoriented? Confused?"

"Not exactly," he says. "It's more physical. Don't know if it'll make sense to you, but there's this itch in my skin, like when the wolf sheds his winter coat?"

"I see."

Jacob raises his hand to brush his fingers through his hair. "Actually, that's the reason we cut our hair short after we phase for the first time. Relieves the itching in our wolf form."

"It's a pity," I sigh. "I liked you with long hair."

Jacob thrusts his chin towards me in surprise. "Really? When did you see me with long hair? I only started pestering you vamps after I phased."

"I noticed your hair that time when you had that dress shirt on? The one with the ugly black tie." I roll my eyes, which promptly causes Jake to elbow me sharply.

"Get outta here!" He chides me, a mischievous smile curling up his lips. "You hate everything I wear; bet you'll only be happy if I prance around in the nude."

I shudder at the erotic imagery innocently conjured by Jacob while I downshift to negotiate another curve. "That would certainly save you the chore of dressing up in the morning." Seeking to change the subject to a safer ground, I cock my eyebrow at him. "So your wolf handles the broken imprint as a change in the weather?"

Jake nods. "That's it in a nutshell. Guess that's why I'm getting these chills. Feels like yesterday it was winter and now it's summer all of a sudden." He leans down on the leather seat, resting the nape of his neck on the headrest as he tilts his chin to shoot me a warm smile. "Feels so easy talking to you, man. You get exactly what I mean."

"There's nothing to it." I shrug. "I've spent a long time observing wild animals so I can make some conjectures."

This time it is him that rolls his eyes while he whispers quietly, "And you're modest, too."

I nod absently as I swing the wheel to negotiate a steep curve that coils around an embankment peppered with pines. "So your wolf doesn't feel anguished or in pain?"

"Nope, actually he feels eager to explore," Jake says quietly. "Free of the tension of enduring the cloying, sickly sweet smell in the mansion." He jerks his head towards me, his hand reaching out to pat my shoulder. "And before you ask, you don't smell awful – haven't done so for a while. Sensed the change weeks ago. Now your scent is more like… I don't know… pines or something."

I crack up a satisfied smile at his words. Jacob is unaware the words he has just used to describe my change in scent tells me his wolf associates me with safety.

Up ahead lies a small valley, a slight rise on the ground leading to the main house which has stucco walls. I scrunch up my brow at the unseemly bramble that crops up at the edges of the pasture. I'll have to do something about it.

"Hey, is this the place you told me about? The place you rented?"

"Yeah, the property has several acres, and the house you see is the only abode in several miles. Plenty of privacy when you shift. The real estate agent assured me the fridge and pantries are fully stocked, but if you want anything more, we'll get it in town."

I brake the car to park in the pebbled driveway and Jake opens the door to step outside, spreading his arms wide as he takes a deep breath of the clean air.

I follow suit and close the door of the Fiesta, glad the trip is over. It would certainly have been easier with my old Jeep Wrangler, but that car is at the garage of the mansion. Wonder if the Cullens will manage to sell it; after all, it is in my name.

Meanwhile, Jacob saunters along the makeshift brick pathway that leads to the main house. It forks about a hundred yards ahead, the other path leading to a barn where I notice a windowpane sagging down from the red brick wall, peppered with shards of glass glistening in the evening sun.

My eyes measure the span of the window as I prepare a mental list of the things I will fetch from the store in town to fix the house.

"Emmett!" Jacob shouts at me as he pulls his tee over his head. "Feels no one's around and I havta phase. I can hardly control my wolf; he wants to explore the new territory."

"Go on!" I wave at him. "I sense no people around."

He toes off his loafers and hooks his thumbs around the belt loops of his pants. Then he bends down as he shimmies his slim hips, tugging off his pants and underwear.

Desire coils heavy in my groin at the delectable sight of thick russet thighs framing the black hair that nestles above his dick. I shake my head in envy at the sight. I have to admit that Jacob is certainly a shower, not a grower.

His clothes discarded on the grass, Jacob jumps towards me and phases, his tanned skin becoming fur and his striking face replaced by the snout of the wild wolf. His paws land on the grass with a cracking sound, gouging deep holes in the lawn as the earth trembles below us.

The wolf walks toward me, tongue lolling from the corner of his mouth as he cocks his head side to side. His huge brown eyes are filled with zest as he nears me.

"Hi, Jacob," I say softly as he stops in front of me. I reach out my hand and run my fingers through his soft fur. "Just be careful, ok?"

My wolf huffs, pricking up his ears and stepping forward so his huge muzzle rubs my shoulder. For a second I stare intently into huge brown eyes that reflect my relieved smile, framed by the cloudy Montana sky.

* * *

oOoOo

We fall into a routine that lasts a few weeks. Busy with the chores of the ranch, I spend a lot of time outdoors when the weather permits. When it's sunny, I entertain myself with the usual videogames and TV.

The house isn't spacious or elegant as the one in Forks but it has all the amenities, including a satellite dish which connects us to the web. Jacob uses the opportunity to take correspondence courses online, intent on finishing high school and get his diploma.

In his spare time he tinkers with cars, including those of our closest neighbors. That's where he meets Karen, a cute high-school girl whose tresses are the color of the wheat just before the harvest.

She's a smart girl that becomes Jacob's fast friend and tutors him in the subjects his old school at the Reservation didn't cover at depth.

She's fun and harmless – and I can't stand the sight of her when she leans toward Jacob and whispers those things teenagers are so fond of.

What can I do, though? Jacob is a virile young man that has lived a life full of tough choices and deprivations. Now that he's free of the imprint he can do what he wants; I won't ever stand in his way. And if he decides to hook up with that girl I'll have to grit my teeth and wish him the best.

I'm still not sure how he feels about me. There's this easy banter between us, an occasional brush of the hands or two, but nothing more.

"Hey, Emm?"

I glance up from the plasma screen, where I have just shot a blond girl zombie to smithereens, not without a certain satisfaction. "Wassup, Jake? You consulted the weather online as I told you?"

"Sure." Jacob sighs as he brushes his fingers through his hair. "It'll be sunny for a few days more. Actually, Karen said it's the best kind of weather to go to the old drive-in her cousin manages. It's in Bozeman."

"I see," I say noncommittally. "I'm sure you'll have lots of fun with Karen. Just be careful, ok?"

"Wait," he huffs. "Are you going to let me go just like that?"

I put the game controller on the table and stand up, glancing at his worried face. I step towards him and pat his shoulder. "What, do you want me to throw a tantrum or something?"

"Nope, I just thought that…"

"Jacob, you are free to do what you want." I cross my arms, my fingertips rubbing nervously against my biceps. "That was the whole purpose of breaking the imprint, and I certainly won't try to restrain you now."

His white teeth worry his lower lip and then he bursts out, "It's just that Karen and I…"

"Hit it off. I can see that and I'm happy for you. You can rest assured I'm not going to go into histrionics like Edward, stalking you and pretending it's the end of the world if you find a person you like. Nor will I try to use Bella's despicable tactics of emotional manipulations to blackmail you and keep you chained by my side. You're free to plan your life as you want. I will expect from you the same courtesy in return if I find someone I like."

Jacob's usually placid visage darkens at that. He narrows his eyes and shoots me a vicious glare, gritting his teeth.

"Fine, fine," he growls darkly. "If that's what you want. I'll be back by sundown."

Then he whirls around and stomps out of the room, closing the door so hard the windows tremble.

I hear the rumble of the old Rabbit he bought for himself with the money he earns fixing cars in the neighborhood. The car shoots out so fast, I'm worried Jacob might need to fix the motor once more.

Once the sound of his car fades away, I plop down on the couch, running my fingers through my hair. I believe I handled the situation with aplomb and treated Jacob with the dignity he deserves. Certainly I told him I valued his freedom and would not chain him by my side. My wolf should have been grateful, but instead he turned feral on me all of sudden. Was it something I said? I trust I made my meaning clear.

For a brief second I imagine how easy it would be if I had Edward's powers and could read Jake's mind to find out what got him so angry. Then I dismiss the thought with an angry shake of my head. Jake deserves his privacy, and if it takes a while until he tells me what's wrong with him, I'll just have to wait.

I'm too nervous to stay inside though. When the sky turns cloudy I venture out of the house, easily dealing with the tough brush that lingers on the east side of the field. The clouds running overhead give me a measure of time passing by and when it's near sundown I make my way to the barn. I start kicking viciously the bales of hay at the thought of Jake making out with that girl, until I'm surrounded by a veritable sea of spread hay.

I roll up my sleeves, opening the buttons of my blue and white plaid shirt, and then lay down on the hay. Gazing through the open window at the top at the barn, I hear the rumble of Jake's car coming in.

Then a few seconds later, the strong heartbeat of my wolf tells me he's just outside the door.

"Come in!" I call out.

Jake peeks inside and walks toward me, leaning down his head, his lips pursed in a worried line.

"Did you have fun?" I say.

Jake sighs brokenly and then crouches down above me before laying his head on my abs. Then he cuddles into a tight ball, his body nestled between my legs, his cotton tee rubbing my midsection.

"I don't like it when we fight," he sighs.

"We didn't fight, Jacob. You got angry; care to tell me why?"

Jake shakes his head. "Maybe later. I'm… confused right now."

"Why? Please don't tell me you kissed Karen and then she slapped you! Bet there are lots of girls - and guys too - that would love it if you kissed them. If she slapped you I'll just have to exchange a few choice words with that girl!"

"Emm, shut up!" Jacob mumbles against my skin. "It was nothing like that. Fact is, I kissed her two weeks ago."

"Oh," I whisper.

"I felt nothing much." Jake confesses. "No passion, just a dutiful kiss."

"But you felt that passion with Bella." I point out.

"That was the fucking imprint messing with me!" Jacob growls. "Looking back, I can tell you her cold lips were chapped and chafed my mouth. She was just dead weight on my arms, like a cold fish."

I snicker at that. "Funny how a clear mind recalls the past, huh?"

"Besides, girls are too manipulative. Karen's a fine girl, but every time she asks me to do something, I can't help but wonder if she has a motive for doing so - if she wants to trap me like Bella did."

There's something I'm curious to find out, though. How does Jacob feel about his former imprint now?

So as I ruffle his hair, I ask softly, "What about Renesmee?"

"Geez, don't remind me of the little troll from hell!" Jake blurts out. "I have nightmares in which she sucks me dry, all the while staring at me with her puffed-up, Chucky face leering down at me!"

"I can see how these monstrous girls in your life have twisted your perception of women, Jake." I run my fingers through his bulging biceps. "But there are fine women out there, and you have to gather patience until you find the right one. Or maybe, until you find the right guy."

I can feel the warmth spreading on my cold skin from Jake's blushing cheeks.

"Tell me, before Bella, was there someone special you thought of while you jerked off?"

"Shuddup, Emm, just shuddup," Jake grumbles without heat in his words.

I hold my tongue and wait while I glance up at the scattering clouds that pass above the window of the barn.

"If you must know, I jerked off thinking of girls on TV… and Paul, too," Jake finally says in a very low whisper. "I used to think I was bisexual until Bella and the imprint brainwashed me. Dad said there was nothing wrong with that."

"And do you think of someone special now when you…"

Jake doesn't allow me to finish. He stands up so fast, stray stalks of hay fly up to my chest. "Emm, I've gotta work on that English paper I need to finish to get special credits for the special exam."

He dashes out of the barn, but my vampire scent recognizes the heady scent of his arousal. I'm very tempted to follow him and face a confrontation with him until I find out who is this person he lusts after, but I can't do it.

Jake's words tell me how suspicious he is about the persons that surround him - this golden boy whose smile used to lit up any room he entered until he met Bella and the imprint. The trust issues he faces run deep through his mind and I will not destroy the hard-earned confidence he's placed in me just so I can get a cheap ego boost.

I'm not Edward.

* * *

oOoOo

The next few weeks pass relatively in peace, though there is a newfound tension between Jake and me that chafes me. Our easy friendship remains and we banter about things as usual, but I notice his skittishness in certain situations.

When I tackle him to the ground and wrestle with him to get a hold of the football, he shies away from me, something he didn't do when we played the game in Forks.

Jacob looks particularly gloomy on cloudy days, and is his usual beaming self when the sun shines up above. Recalling his words about how the broken imprint affected his wolf in terms of the passage of seasons, I wonder if it continues to do so.

The ranch looks spanking clean now, given that Jacob and I work hard at keeping it free of brambles, clearing up the rocks in the fields, and keeping the house in good repair. Matter of fact, I contacted the real estate agent and bought the ranch last month.

I want to spring this as a surprise for Jacob's birthday, which is still six months away. Our hard work has made this small paradise very livable, more of a home than Forks or Alaska ever felt for me.

Our easygoing nature has gained us lots of friends. I notice that people in this small corner of Montana, despite a certain reticence, have warmed up to us and visit us from time to time.

Jacob has just sent his online quiz to the local high school. He's confided in me he's confident he'll ace it, and then he'll present the official one and get the diploma he needs.

I notice he's on the living room, his head ducked low, his shocks of black hair spread every which way as he purses his lips in concentration, his gaze directed to the gleaming knife in his hand which lovingly cuts the woodwork he's been working on.

I look up when I sense the scent of the woman in front of the door. It's Mrs. Erika Schultz, a divorcée that seemingly has her sights set on me. No matter how gently I try to get rid of her, she persists.

The bell rings persistently and Jake glances up, his nostrils flaring in alarm. Then his fingers tighten around his knife as he shoots me an accusing look.

I go to the door and open it, trying not to wince at the cloying smell of Erika's Balenciaga perfume.

"Dear Mr. McCarty, I'm so very glad you're home!" She shoots me a smile as she wraps her fingers around my arm.

"Erika, nice to see you," I say dispassionately.

The clatter of the knife against the floor tells me Jake is upset. Sure enough, he stomps out of the house without saying goodbye, his stormy eyes shooting daggers at Mrs. Schultz and myself.

I wonder what's wrong with him this time. I even consider calling Karen and finding out if there's something wrong with the schedule for the exam.

I'm afraid that my worry for the wolf overcomes my vampiric keen senses. I'm hardly aware of Erika babbling about this and that. The woman's possessiveness unpleasantly reminds me of Rosalie, so I make quick work of getting rid of her once a reasonable amount of time has passed.

I go back to the living room to pick up the knife, my gaze straying to the beautiful necklace next to it. It's made of supple sinew entwined with small wooden hoops, the texture of it letting me know it's made from the deer Jake and I caught the last time we went hunting. My undead heart clenches tight when I see there's a small silver bear embracing a jade wolf entwined in the last wooden circle

I clutch tightly the necklace, instinctively sure that Jacob made it for me. My heart flutters painfully when I recall Edward boasting about how he embedded his heirloom into Bella's wolf bracelet and so ruined the gift Jacob created for Bella in token of his love.

Can it be that this is Jacob's parting gift, though? A token of his appreciation for my help in setting him free? God knows that with his high school diploma at hand, Jacob can find work as a mechanic anywhere. This explains the tension of the last weeks; Jacob's too kind-hearted to tell me directly until the last moment.

I stand still as a statue, unaware of the passage of time in my vampire condition that knows no pain or discomfort.

Then I smell him coming from the fields. Jacob pushes open the door and strolls in, his hands stuck in the pockets of his jeans as he glares heatedly at me.

"Well," he snarls. "Is your slut gone?"

"What the hell?" I say thickly.

"Erika, or whatever her damned name is! She can't wait to get her greedy paws on you and you let her!" Jake pokes my chest accusingly and then starts pacing back and forth across the living room.

"Jacob, you are wrong!"

"Wrong, huh?" He cries out loud. "You told me yourself, remember?"

"I haven't told you anything like that, Jake; you're out of your damned wolf mind!" I snarl, rapidly losing patience with him. God, this boy can be so hot-headed and stubborn that for a nanosecond I even sympathize with Bella!

"You said I had to respect your decision, that you expected my courtesy in letting you plan your life when you found someone you liked," he says, his voice breaking at the end. "And now you've found her."

"Jacob, that was a figure of speech. And that woman means nothing to me," I say with a slight grin, having realized the reason he's so angry. Jacob is obviously very jealous. God, my wolf looks so hot when he's consumed by jealousy!

"Good! But what about all the others?"

"The others?"

"Geez, Emmett McCarty, how can you be so blind?" Jacob walks up to me, his finger poking my chest again. "Everyone wants you. The wife of the store manager? The guy that lives down the road? Their eyes follow you like you are a piece of raw meat!"

"You are jealous," I say wonderingly.

"Course I am!" he shouts. "I pray to Q'wati that the sunny weather holds up so you have to remain here. Dread the cloudy sky for it lures you to town, and one of these days I will lose you!"

"So you want me…"

Jacob turns his back on me, his shoe scuffing nervously against the floor. "Course I do! But it's in vain, you see me as your best friend and nothing more!" He growls and then whirls around, his dark eyes piercing in the intensity of his regard. "You wanted to know who I jerk off to? It's you; it's always been you who haunts me. What the heck! Even back in Forks, the few times I slept soundly in that hellish house, I dreamed of you above me, caressing me, your huge arms holding me…"

Sharp spikes of lust run all over my body as I wrap Jacob in my arms. My tongue trails a path up his exposed collarbone, teeth lightly nipping the russet skin of his neck while my hand snakes beneath the waistband of his pants, my thumb rubbing the crease of his ass.

"Emmett," Jacob grunts, staggering back into my touch.

I grasp the short hairs at the nape of his neck and twist his head just right, thrusting my tongue between his pouty lips, devouring the taste of him which is as raw as fresh sawdust after a hard day's work in my youth.

I slide my forefinger between his buttocks, lightly caressing the sweaty skin. Jacob groans into my mouth as his hands grab purchase on my arms so he can thrust back into my finger.

"I've been in love with you for months, Jake," I say hoarsely, pushing him towards the couch.

"God, Emm, love you too."

"I must have you now. You've teased me for far too long, parading around shirtless in the sun, wearing only your cutoffs when all I wanted to do was bend you over the bales of hay and fuck your tight ass till you screamed my name, fuck you raw until you came on my cock, over and over."

Jake hides his face in my chest, his cheeks blushing as he squirms against me. He toes off his shoes which land with a thudding sound against the legs of the couch,

My finger rubs teasingly his clenching rim, and then I shove my thigh between his legs. Jacob topples onto the couch, the movement impaling him on my finger which sinks into him up to the first knuckle. I twist it around just so, directing it up so it nudges his prostate.

He moans and spreads his legs while his muscles hungrily squeeze my finger.

I dislodge my hand from its warm nestling place as Jake whimpers with the loss of the sensations that obviously overwhelm him. I make quick work of ripping off his tee, my thumb tweaking fleetingly his perky nub, my other hand undoing the buttons of his jeans and his fly. Then I hook my thumbs around the belt loops of his jeans before he raises his hips so I can slide his pants and briefs down his long legs.

"You're wet for me, Jake," I chuckle at the sight of his impressive girth, the slit on the purple head glistening with the proof of his desire.

"Hurry, man. Gotta have you in me," he breathes, spreading his legs even more and letting me gaze down at his virgin hole, nestled so tantalizingly between strong thighs.

I'm in too much of a hurry to keep up appearances, so I just dash in a blur to the room to grab the bottle of lube, returning to the couch barefoot after toeing off my loafers.

Meanwhile Jacob has pulled up his right leg, gripping the back of his knee with his hand, making my mouth water as I glimpse his twitching hole.

"So hungry for my cock, Jake," I growl.

I take off my shirt, the buttons landing with a clanking sound as I shimmy out of my pants and briefs so fast I'm sure all Jake sees is a blur.

"Gawd, you're so thick!" Jacob groans at the sight of my dick which throbs angrily, waiting to fit into that inviting hole.

I palm my dick, leering down at him. "Bet you can't wait to get on your knees and wrap your lips around it, huh? But first…" I squat over him, opening the bottle of lube and coating my fingers and cock with the thick liquid.

I lean down until my face hovers over his throbbing cock, my tongue licking the head and then sliding down the meaty shaft till I reach his balls, which I squeeze gently with my cold fingers. Jacob bucks up his hips, seeking more of the fleeting touch.

"Gonna eat out your sweet ass till you're licked open for me, wolf," I say huskily and then my lips lick a swath down the soft skin between his buttocks.

Jacob whimpers, squirming on the couch as my tongue rubs circles around his entrance, luxuriating in the smoothness and warmth as I tease him out of his mind. I want his first time to be special, to make him forget all the pain that's gone before.

I nibble the lips of his entrance, coaxing it open until it's swollen and red. Jacob desperately tries to push up his hips and ride my tongue, but I press my hand on his thighs holding him down.

"Don't tease me!" He growls before I flatten my tongue in a stab and jab it inside, my forefinger sliding like melted butter into his slick, fucked open hole until he clenches hard around my tongue and comes all over his abs with a hoarse shout.

The feeling of his walls squeezing me drives me out of my mind. I squat over him and scoot forward on my knees till my blunt cockhead glances over his slick hole.

Jake lets out a needy whimper that shoots straight into my groin and jerks up his hips, seeking more. He swipes the come that runs over his abs and licks his seed off his fingers while he looks at me with eyes darkened by lust.

Jacob's breath hitches on a moan as my hands kneads his supple ass, his swollen hole winking close. My thumbs spread him wide while I chuckle darkly, "You're still hungry."

Jake's blush deepens as he wriggles on the couch, knowing I'm looking at his clenching entrance, his cock curling back to life between his legs. "I need… more."

Watching his sweaty face carefully, I rub my cock around his quivering hole and breach him slowly, my hand tracing a path up his wet abs to his bulging chest. I lean down to nibble on his peaked nubs, the angle raising my hips so I sink farther into the tight heat which flutters around me.

My shaft jabs against his prostate and Jake pushes up his hips, his body swallowing me whole. He moans, his face twisting in ecstasy as his ankles wobble around my hips, his toes curled up tight as I press further until I reach bottom. He squirms at the sensation of hair scraping against his tender ass, my balls resting snug against his rump.

Jacob's arms close around my shoulders, his hand clawing my back as he bucks up his hips. I withdraw languidly from his hungry body until only my cockhead spears him open.

"Emmmm," he moans in a low, guttural voice that makes my dick twitch inside his body. I fuck my hips into him, impaling him in a swift motion until my balls slap his thighs.

Jake whimpers, tossing his head back and forth while his walls flutter around me, a steady string of precome dribbling down his unattended cock to join the drying come on his abs.

"I'm going to ruin you for other guys," I snarl menacingly. My hips jerk back and forth as I plunge relentlessly into him, my shaft nudging his prostate erratically. "No one is ever gonna fuck you this hard, this good, as long as you live."

I sit on my haunches as I loop my arm around his chest, lifting him up towards me until he's sitting on my dick, his ass flush against my hips. Jake's cockhead is an angry, shiny purple and I close my fingers around it to fist him with the same rhythm I'm thrusting into him. Hard and fast. Deep and unrelenting.

Jake is moaning as he bobs up and down on my cock, his obvious need causing me to shove up my hips with a mighty heave. His body rises up, he's howling as he lands on my lap with a squishy sound, and comes all over my fingers with a muffled groan. HIs come spatters his chin and dribbles down his chest while his eyes roll back in their sockets due to the explosive force of his orgasm.

His piping hot walls clenching around me coax me towards completion. I spill my seed inside him, my fingers rubbing his rim which clenches reflexively around my dick as come and lube seep down his well-used hole to dribble down to my balls.

* * *

oOoOo

In this majestic place of solitude and calm, time passes swiftly. Seasons change as we putter around the house and make love under the stars, occasionally venturing into town to cement our presence in the small community.

Jake duly gets his diploma and opens up a small car shop in our property. The steady dribble of clients that seek his expertise grows slowly by word of mouth.

Winter snow drapes the mountains and trees with a pristine white blanket.

I have never felt more at peace and refreshed than in the company of my wolf, and I know that in setting him free, I've also liberated myself.

No more drudgery and routine, going endlessly through the motions of being in high school over and over, standing aloof from the humans in our pristine isolation. Untouchable and untouched.

Here I mix freely in the small population which is more open minded than the dreary newspaper reports would suggest. People are obviously aware of the status of my relationship with Jake, but so far there have been no sneering remarks.

I'm free from the heavy task of always trying to please Rosalie in a futile effort to brighten her mood. So when the divorce papers arrive in the postal office in town, I pick them up with a light heart, my fingers gripping the jade wolf that hugs the silver bear in Jacob's necklace on my chest. I'm free to plan my next step.

Jake doesn't need me to be able to crack a joke and beam at people. Sure, we fight sometimes, but the struggles help us settle down and understand each other more deeply.

I've found that wolves are willful and playful creatures, but once you let them into your heart, they fill you with everlasting joy – and keep you on your toes as you try to grapple with their endless mutability.

I don't often think about my former family. Wish them the best of luck in their endeavors but they are part of my past, and I've always been a man that never looks back.

Jacob is my future, and every day I spend with him opens up exciting vistas, just like climbing a tall tree will let you see you far into the horizon.

Both of us do not care much about Christmas traditions, so the day passes unnoticed as the New Year creeps in.

Actually, it is the day before Jacob's birthday that my wolf himself brings up the Cullens.

He sits on the couch, his head ducked low, his long eyelashes contrasting against his bronzed skin.

When I notice him worrying his lower lip, I grow suspicious.

"Why are you nervous, Jake?"

"Well, I may have done something you won't approve of," he says with a serious mien.

"Well, spit it out then!"

"I've been texting and calling the pack. We've spent hours talking back and forth, hence the heavy phone bill."

"Which you paid yourself." I point out.

"Paul told me the Cullens left Forks," he suddenly says.

"Good for them. Bet they went to Alaska," I say nonchalantly.

"Nope, other sources tell me they are running from the Volturi. Jasper left them well before that."

I sit up at that, narrowing my eyes at Jake. I steeple my fingers and try to gather patience. Sometimes Jake spins his tales in such a meandering way it reminds me of the haphazard trails his huge wolf leaves in the woods when we go hunting.

"Aren't you worried about Bella and Renesmee?" I whisper.

"Nope, why should I? Those two are not tribe members and never were. Heck, they're not even human!" He nods. "I will treat their fate with the same indifference they treated mine."

"Well, I'm not human myself," I say with a shrug.

"Cut it out, Emm!" Jake growls. "You're as human as me; your courage and heart make it so. You're also the man I love, so this does not apply to you."

"Whatever you say."

Jake mumbles under his breath something that sounds suspiciously like 'stubborn bear.'

I choose to ignore this and just cock my eyebrow at him.

"Anyway, when you told me how you met Chelsea I was intrigued," he finally says. "She ever told you why she was in Olduvai Gorge?"

"Nope. I just saved her and then Rosalie and I went on to our honeymoon. I've spoken with Chels several times since, but just small talk."

Jake leans forward, his dark gaze intent on me as he joins the flat of his palms. "You know why that place is important?"

I narrow my eyes at him. "It's got something to do with Archeology. Rosalie really wanted to explore the place but when I asked her about it, she just huffed and threw one of her trademark condescending remarks at me."

"Bitch," Jake mutters under his breath; then he glances up at me and shrugs. "Whatever. I've had lots of spare time on my hands, what with fewer clients in winter, so I've been researching, browsing the web and even ordering DVDs of old TV documentaries from the video shop in Helena."

"So what did you find out?"

"Turns out archeologists found the oldest fossils of hominids there. You see what it means? That place was the cradle of humanity." Jake's enthusiasm is infectious like always and I prick up my ears at that.

"You think that's why Chelsea was there?"

"She told me herself… Oops!" Jake gulps, realizing he's just revealed his hand.

"Please tell me you didn't just call her on the phone one day!" I groan, rubbing my hands all over my face. "One just doesn't contact the mighty Volturi just like that!"

"She sounds nice." Jake fidgets on the couch. "And I used your name to win her over."

"Ok, we'll talk about it later. I still don't see the connection between her presence and the fossils being there."

"Fine, I'll tell you what I've puzzled together from browsing around and stuff. It may sound farfetched, but what could be more outrageous than vampires and werewolves?"

I nod slowly, conceding his point.

"Picture our ancestors those millions of years ago," he says softly. "Huddled in their caves, listening to the howling beasts prowling outside, ready to pounce on them at any moment. They must have felt so small and hopeless, so trapped – just the way I was under the imprint – how could they ever survive those threats?"

"That's easy," I say. "They evolved intelligence."

"Nope. No matter how smart you are, you can't face a huge lion on your own and win the day." His gaze caresses my chest. "Unless they were as huge as you, and they certainly weren't."

"They wrought axes and arrows then." I tilt down my chin to stare at our reflection on the polished surface of the table. "That's what one of my countless high school teachers said, I forget where."

"They didn't invent those weapons all at once; it must have taken a whole lot of time," Jake points out. "And remember the tigers and lions were always prowling around."

"So how do you think they survived then?"

"Something must have happened that gave them a huge edge, just what they needed to hang on and endure," Jake says with a frown. "I think what happened is the same thing that occurred in our tribe. Shifters appeared among the people, and they were the formidable weapons that kept the beasts at bay and gave our ancestors the chance they needed to flourish."

I close my eyes, trying to picture what my wolf's vivid imagination has conjured in my mind. I'm no brainy guy, but I have to concede that Jake has a very good point. I recall the solemn words uttered by Ephraim Black, Jake's ancestor, while we fashioned the treaty between the Quileutes and my former family. He said the tribe was about to become extinct under the attacks of the Cold Ones, and then the first shifter phased. If it happened so recently, why couldn't it have happened once already in the far past?

"But why is Chelsea so interested in that, though?" I raise my eyebrows at him. "It's ancient history!"

"It could happen once more, that's why. Obviously the Volturi know the dark secrets of history much more than we do and have leads I'm not aware of," Jake says. "They may well have learned that our genes may mutate again, providing the next evolutionary advantage. Way beyond shifters and vampires. And of course Chelsea wants to stay on top of that."

"Could that advantage be Renesmee?" I say.

"Nope," he shakes his head angrily. "Nessie, the little troll, is just a dirty mongrel, a downright common hybrid like that Nahuel guy. There's nothing special in what Chucky does."

"Yeah, who cares about the love child of the boring couple?" I snort.

"Anyway, what's really important is that in talking to Chelsea I realized I have the keys to breaking the imprint of my packmates. Liberate Quil, Paul, Embry, even Sam if he wants."

"What do you mean?"

"Chelsea is going to Forks in a week. She'll break the imprints of Quil, Paul and Embry. It was tough convincing the guys, but with Leah's help, I managed."

I smile warmly at my enterprising lover and scoot towards him, grabbing him in a brief hug. "Well done, wolf!"

"Thanks, man!" He shoots me one of his blinding smiles.

I stand up and stretch my arms. "After this enlightening conversation, I need to check our supplies for our hunting trip."

We have decided to spend Jacob's birthday roaming in the Gallatin National Forrest and travel southward till we reach Yellowstone. We'll hunt and sate our hunger, and end up spending the night talking under the stars or making love, whatever suits our mood.

"It'll be great, man!" Jake beams at me.

* * *

oOoOo

Travelling with my wolf it is such joy to observe the way he blends into the forest and makes his way forward, ears flattened to his skull as he follows the scent of prey; time passes swiftly and we venture deeper into Yellowstone National Park.

Jacob shifts and puts on the clothes I've kept for him in our knapsack, and then he munches on the sandwiches he fixed before starting in our journey.

We walk the steep paths hand in hand under the night sky until we stop at a promontory that faces a huge mountain a few miles in front of us, looking like a giant cut it in half, casting a striking silhouette which is limned by the light of the full moon.

There are campers a few miles north and south, but we have managed to find a secluded spot that's unreachable for most humans.

My fingers brush his smooth cheeks which are bathed in moonlight. "It's been a long road, Jake."

"Worth it every step of the way, for it led me to you." He leans towards me and lays his head on my shoulder, his cheek flat against the necklace he made for me.

"I'm a free man; the divorce papers have come through." I hint.

"Hush, Emm! You've told me how you felt with her, going through the endless weddings just to gain respite from her bitchy ways," Jake says softly. "We have all the time of the world. There'll be a moment when it'll feel just right, and then we'll marry."

With those simple words, Jacob sets me free from the last shreds of my old life. Under no compulsion to conform and play by the rules of the mortals, I can live life to the fullest with my wolf in whatever way we desire.

My chest bursts with feeling while my fingers trace a path up his smooth cheek, rubbing his pert nose before I encounter the clump of the bear and wolf that dangle from the necklace.

"Love the gift you made for me," I growl softly.

"Glad you do. The hardest part was getting the wooden hoops just right. The bear and wolf I already had."

"You bought them in Helena?"

"Nope, they're from Forks. I've had them for years, in fact." Jacob tugs me down so we sit on the outcropping, our faces in profile to the old mountain as he weaves his tale. "I found them in this pawnshop in Port Angeles, one day Dad took me there when I was nine or ten years old. We were on a fishing trip, and when I saw the bear and wolf, I just had to have them." He glances up at me. "I remembered the shaman's words, you see."

"The shaman?"

"He was from the Ojibwa and was visiting the Rez, back when mom was alive," he says, leaning down his head while his fingers play with the necklace. "One night he came to talk with dad, and the two stayed up late into the night as I listened to their voices from my room. The shaman was visiting the tribes of the Northwest and exchanging stories, keeping our legends alive."

"I wish I could have been there," I say wistfully.

Jacob scoots forward and cuddles next to me, his head a small furnace on my chest as he goes on. "I remember the story he told about two warring tribes. They were fighting over hunting grounds and powerful animals protected them, a huge bear for the ones, and a big wolf for the others."

"What happened then?"

"The fighting grew, leaving grieving people around their campsites. Seeing this, the animals attacked each other, their paws stepping over the bowls of cornmeal the tribes kept for winter. They rose up to the stars and kept fighting fiercely, their footprints which dusted the night sky became our constellations."

"That's an awesome legend," I whisper.

"It doesn't end there." Jake tilts up his chin and shoots me a warm smile while my fingers ruffle his hair. "The chief of the one tribe grew weary of the struggle and offered his daughter in marriage to the head honcho of their enemies. Long story short, this ended their fight, but at that moment the bear and wolf were locked in an embrace, so that's the way they remain in the sky."

"That's such a beautiful story." I lean down to rest my chin on his head, breathing his woodsy scent which fills me with deep contentment.

"Anyways, so when I saw the bear and wolf in the pawnshop? I asked Dad to get them for me. They've been with me ever since." Jake glances up at me, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down as he takes deep breaths.

"When I was crafting that bracelet for Bella with the carved wolf, I gotta admit I was tempted to use this little guy instead." His fingers rub the jade wolf. "But I didn't have the heart to tear him away from his mate. They belong together on earth just as they do in the sky."

I lean down to kiss his smooth brow. "That's understandable, and so very you."

"I kept them even during the darkest nights, always wishing in the back of my mind that I could find someone for me just like the jade wolf had. But you were always there."

"What do you mean?" I breathe against his ear.

"You cheered me up when I was down, made me laugh despite my woes. Your energy buoyed me up, _sunquima_," Jake whispers raggedly, the emotion in his voice making me shiver. "You are my beloved hope, the man that keeps me going."

"I'm deeply honored by your words." I feel a big lump in my throat, gazing down at Jake in the moonlight. "And I love you so much I can't express it. Just know that I'm forever yours, with all that I am."

Jake sits up and faces me, his fingers brushing over my cheeks. "Dad tells me the imprint is for reproduction, but that's just a base function of our bodies."

He leans forward and rubs his nose against mine, breathing against my cheek. "The love that overflows me every time I look at you comes from my soul, and it is as deep as the night sky where the wolf hugs his bear for eternity."

I kiss him gently, my heart filled with the love only Jacob calls up in me. And I know we'll remain forever free under the stars.

_tbc_


	5. Chapter 5

_**AN:** This occurs a week after the previous chapter. Since it is set in the same 'verse, I decided to add it here instead of posting it as a different story._

_**Warnings:** Strong language, NC-17, graphic sex._

* * *

Just outside the border of our lands, the fine mist hugs the ground like a wispy blanket, a watered version of the snow that covers the ground and the trees.

"Does it hurt, what this bloodsucker does?" Embry raises his eyebrow at me as he wraps his arms around his torso. I lean towards him and clasp his shoulder.

"When Chelsea breaks your imprint you'll feel weak, man." I struggle to find the words to convey my complete disorientation the night Chelsea destroyed my imprint. "Hardly remember what it felt like."

I glance at Quil's tall frame, reclining on a gnarled tree several yards behind us, Jared by his side and Paul looming just behind them with his arms crossed on his chest. "The waterfront of Port Angeles is hazy in my mind. All I recall sharply is the concern in Emmett's voice, his strong arms around me as I took a dive to the ground because of the shock."

"It's the first time you mention your lover." Paul huffs a laugh, raising his hands in a soothing gesture at the scowl I send his way. "No offense intended, Jake. Whatever floats your canoe and all that."

"I just got here, man." I shrug. "Figured you wouldn't want to know all the details anyway. Suffice it to say that Emmett watched over me. Heck, he offered himself as a guinea pig to see how Chelsea's powers would affect me!"

"He must love you very much," Seth whispers wistfully.

I nod slowly, wishing Emmett by my side. He's hunting, though. Really had to push the big guy to go up north and feed; want him in full strength for what I have planned.

Paul rolls his eyes at Seth and shoots him a condescending glare. "Love's a myth, kiddo. Bet it can't compare to what I feel for Rachel."

The corners of Seth's lips tug up in a smirk as he raises his hand to point at Paul's toned chest. "Then why are you here?"

"Leah." The veins on Paul's forehead throb angrily as he goes on. "The girl is damned annoying! Kept taunting me, said I was too big of a coward to try and find love on my own. She had the gall to say I relied on the crutch of the imprint, that I would've never gotten Rachel's affection on my own!"

"Leah's got a point." I step towards him, crossing my arms on my bare chest in a gesture of dominance. "Lemme tell you that Rach is not exactly a caring girl. She and Rebecca bailed out on Dad and me when we needed them the most. She's my sis, but I gotta say she's as selfish as Bella. You'd do well to get rid of her."

Quil whistles softly, making his way to Embry. I glance sideways at the high-five the two exchange, their arms touching like the wings of a ghostly russet bird emerging briefly from the fog.

"Finally, Jake! Man, d'ya have any idea how long we've waited to hear you say something mean about her?" Quil turns to shoot me a smirk, his burly frame dwarfing Embry's slender shoulders.

"Couldn't find a fault in that bitch 'cuz she's the mother of my ex-imprint, the little troll." I flash a mock-glare at my two best friends. Can't remain mad at them for long, though. After all, they were the ones that endured my endless moaning when I longed for Bella's affection, those weary days I was trapped in the fucking imprint which sunk its claws on me well before Nessie was born.

"Do tell us what you think about the bloodsucker bitch!" Jared rubs his hands gleefully.

"Jare, who cares about Bella?" I twist my shoulders to glance at the woods. The fog has risen and covers the trees in a threadbare white sheet. "Got more important issues right now." I call out to him over my shoulders. "Sam's coming?"

"Nope," Embry says softly. "As you can imagine, Leah's taunting didn't work on him. Guess he's afraid of breaking his imprint and finding himself in a triangle with Emily and Leah."

"Leah wouldn't touch that cheating bastard with a ten-foot pole!" Seth says with heat in his voice.

I raise my eyebrows at him, wondering about the pack dynamics. Seems Alpha Sam has let control slip from him, which is understandable given how much he fumbles when he gives his contradictory orders.

Anyway, it is no longer my concern. Though I love the pack, my life doesn't center around Forks but in our ranch in Montana.

"Good for her!" Paul barks a laugh. "She deserves better than Emily's sloppy seconds."

I shake my head at his words. Bet Paul wants to get rid of the imprint so he can go after Leah or even Seth, to judge by the way Paul's teasing him.

The sweet stench coming from the fog distracts me. I tilt up my chin to stare at the wispy cover that surrounds the copse of trees in front of our clearing. Sure enough, a slim woman glides out of it, her movements as silent and swift as the prows of the old canoes in the legends Dad told me.

Chelsea stops in front of me and lifts her hand to nudge her cowl aside in an elegant, economic motion. Her flowing blond hair is limned by the translucent light peeking through the mist and frames pale skin, highlighted by her fiery red eyes.

Bowing shallowly at her, I flash her a grin. "Welcome to our land, Chels."

She shakes her head minutely, her arm a fast blur as she lifts it to cup my chin between her cold fingers. "Just as impertinent in person as in the phone, dear Jacob."

Shooting her a smirk, I shrug her fingers away. "You strike me as different than the other vamps."

"You may have a point, wolf." She glances at the pack and thrusts her chin at them. "Let's do it; I suppose these young men want to get rid of me as soon as possible."

"You're not wrong," Paul growls softly. "Though for the love of Q'wati, I can't see why a fucking Volturi would help us willingly."

Chelsea sighs and glides towards him, stopping just in front of Paul. "I'm not in the habit of explaining myself, but my experience with Jacob suggests my ability works better if there is trust involved. Know then that I've come here with Aro's full backing. He is convinced that if I break your imprints you won't be able to pass on your shifting abilities to the next generation; thus, your tribe will cease to pose any danger to him in the future, and therefore he is prepared to leave the Quileutes alone."

"The hell?" Paul growls low in his throat. "Better not do it then. I'd rather see the tribe survive than suffer at the inexistent mercy of leeches!"

Chelsea laughs mockingly, the delightfully tinkling sound echoing eerily in the midst of the snow-covered trees shrouded by fog. "Do you truly believe that your passion, the fire that runs through your veins, can be so easily extinguished?"

"But…" Paul starts to say while Chels lifts her hand to bid for silence and continues.

"Aro often makes the wrong choice, as he amply proved with his debacle in coming here and confronting the Cullens in front of all those witnesses. His mind is pulled in so many directions, it's a wonder he remains sane."

"But he may have a point," Seth says softly, sticking his hands in the back pockets of his cutoffs. "The Elders insist in the holy quality of the imprint."

"Yep, Seth," I snap at him. "The holy imprint that bound Ephraim's heir to Nessie so the damned little demon could drink my blood at will!"

Seth shrinks back at that and I raise my hand soothingly. "Not mad at you, kid, but at the fucking imprint!"

"Jacob makes an astute observation," Chelsea says softly. "It was very convenient for us that your true Alpha would imprint on a hybrid, rendering him vulnerable and useless to your tribe."

I blush in mortification at her words, since they are the absolute truth. Nessie had chortled with glee when she told me Alice's vision in which I ran carrying her on my back through the woods, leaving my pack to their deaths. If that vision had turned into reality, I honestly don't know how I could have lived with myself.

"So why did you break Jake's imprint, then?" Quil says with a frown.

"Because there is more to surviving than coddling our esteemed Volturi leader." Chelsea's fingers toy with the clasp of her cloak as she glances around at my pack brothers. "As for the imprint, in my long life I've lived in the wild and watched the wolves many times. They mate for life, that is true, but they do not imprint."

She stands still for a few seconds and then turns her back to glide away. "But if you don't want to do it, that's fine. I have pressing business elsewhere, though."

I scuffle my boots on the soft snow as she makes her way back into the mist. Feel very tempted to call her back, but I can't do that because this isn't my decision - it is the pack's choice. I refuse to act like Sam and browbeat them into submission until they accept my point of view. If they aren't convinced to break the imprint and want to remain shackled forever, that's their business.

My business is offering them the alternative, nothing more.

It is Paul who calls her back. "Hey, come back! I'd rather choose someone on my own than remain a puppet."

As Chelsea makes her way back, Paul mutters softly to himself. "Besides, Rachel and I just don't fit that well. Before I imprinted, I loathed her for running away from the Rez like a coward."

Paul squares his shoulders and steps towards Chelsea, who stares deeply into his handsome face as she employs her powers. Meanwhile, I ponder Chelsea's words. I can't quite put my finger on it, but there's something disquieting about them. I sense a dim pattern, a design much bigger than Aro's dictating her actions, but for the life of me I can't guess what it is.

Paul is right, though – it is very strange that a Volturi should willingly help a pack of werewolves become free. Granted that Chels seems a nice vamp, but she is a Volturi and her ruby eyes tell me she finds it easy to prey on humans. Hope we don't ever become her target.

The fog thins slightly by the time she finishes her business which leaves my pack brothers dazed but conscious.

"Funny that breaking the imprint didn't cause them to faint," I point out to Chelsea as I accompany her to the edge of the clearing. "Thanks, by the way."

She nods her acknowledgement. "Their bonds were not as strong as yours, Jacob. Furthermore, they had accepted them with a light heart, quite unlike you, who struggled so mightily to break free."

"Oh boy, did you get all that when you freed me?" I cock my eyebrow at her.

"It was obvious from your demeanor and sweet Emmett's. I suppose the Treaty he told me about still holds?" She finishes with a lilt to her voice, her meaning obvious.

"Nope, Emmett is exempt from the Treaty." I stop at the edge of the woods. "Managed to convince the Elders to grant him free passage, given that the Cullens are all gone and I'm in love with him. He's hunting at the moment."

"It's a pity," she says calmly. "I wanted to bounce ideas off him."

I narrow my eyes at her. "You mean Olduvai, I guess."

Chelsea tilts up her chin to stare at me, her eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Chels, I managed to piece the puzzle together. Long ago the first shifters appeared and their abilities helped humanity survive, back in Olduvai Gorge where Emmett rescued you from the newborns. I suppose you were looking for a fossil proof."

"How did you…?"

I shrug, the time remaining too brief to explain the wonders of the web. My words come out in a rush as I stare into her red eyes. "Anyway, if it happened once it will be repeated, so I guess the Volturi are interested in controlling the next evolutionary jump. Emmett thought it was Nessie."

Chelsea frowns and lifts her fingers to my cheek, her caress as cold as the winter wind. "Emmett was wrong, dear wolf, and for the love of all you hold dear, don't ever let Aro read your thoughts. He wanted that child killed as a power play; it is all he's interested in and the reason why he pursues the Cullens as we speak. The witnesses wanted to help the Olympic Coven out of compassion, I suppose." She shrugs as if the concept is foreign to her.

Chelsea takes a step back and glances knowingly at the forest. "Both viewpoints are wrong, of course. Nature knows not of power and compassion, only survival, and that is the imperative which compels me to help you and your tribe."

Before I can ask Chelsea what she means, she vanishes into the fog like a ghost leaving our realm to take up her place among the stars.

* * *

oOoOo

Dad's house feels alone without the boisterous pack. We made our way back here after Chelsea finished and we just sat down to eat, gobbling up food and talking about our lives.

Turns out Paul is working for his uncle in his workshop, Jared and Quil are repeating their last year at school so they can get their diplomas while Embry works as a clerk in a clothing store in Forks.

The noise we made irritated my Dad and he phoned Sue Clearwater, finally asking me to drive him over there. Rachel was out of town, thankfully. Didn't want to see her face when she found out Paul slipped her grasp.

When I get back from the Clearwaters', most of the guys are gone and only Paul remains. Guess he wants to stuff himself with more food.

Manage to shoo him out the door before he empties the cupboard, though. At the threshold, he cocks his eyebrow at me. "So what are your plans, man? You've told us you got your diploma and work fixing cars. Is that all?"

I shrug nonchalantly. "I've sent out applications to universities in Montana. Want to study Mechanical Engineering, but I'll have to wait a year or two while I save up some money."

"Wish you the best, Jake." Paul huffs as he gives me a one-arm hug. He walks out the door and calls over his shoulder. "Life's less dramatic without you and the leeches, but what can I say? I love drama."

"Come visit us when you feel like it!" I shout to him as he trudges through the snow, his broad russet shoulders contrasting with the white landscape.

"Will do!"

Make my way back to the house and walk into my old room where my knapsack leans against the foot of the bed. Dad has kept everything clean, certainly tidier than when I lived here.

Lean over the bed to throw the blanket aside and I glance at the frosted window. The blurry outline of the ground is covered with a fine mantle of snow which looks untouched in the glowing winter light. My thumb caresses the latch of the window as I nudge it open to breathe the crisp air.

Winter soothes me, and I slowly exhale in and out, seeking calm after Chelsea's ominous words. Wish Emmett were here so we could bounce ideas off each other.

I miss Emm so much, and the big guy has only been gone for two days! Miss the way his lips curl up in a smirk and his smooth cheeks dimple when he cracks a joke; his grin and the heft of him by my side, over me, inside me.

Funny the way thinking of Emmett turns worry into lust. The crotch of my cutoffs feels tight against my growing arousal as I remember our first time. The way he manhandled me and then rimmed me; the burning stretch as he filled me up so nicely, the pain turning into ravenous hunger for more of him.

I lay myself on the bed, my thumbs hooking around the frayed belt loops of my cutoffs as I peel them off, shivering when the cold breeze kisses the tip of my wet cockhead. Twist my shoulders to lower my hand to grab the knapsack and rummage inside until my fingers close around a bottle and a glossy picture of Emm.

I uncap the bottle of lube and pour some on my palm. Fist my dick slowly, relishing the friction.

Sighing at the photo of Emmett, with my other hand I prop it up against a pile of folded clothes so I can gaze at him while I jerk off. Lean my head on a folded blanket and gaze at Emmett's broad chest. He looks so hot with those tight jeans, his smoldering gaze fixed on me.

As I swirl my thumb over my cockhead, I remember the day I took the photo. We had been doing chores in the ranch and since it was a cloudy day, Emmett had taken off his shirt.

My mouth salivating at the sight of those smooth pecs and his juicy nipples, I rushed inside to grab my cell and took his photo against the white wall of the house.

Recalling what happened afterwards, I close my eyes and leave my cock unattended while my hand sneaks down to fondle my balls, rolling the heavy swell of my sac between my thumb and forefinger while I reach down with my right hand to tease my rim.

Emmett had pounced on me and pushed me onto a bale of hay, making quick work of taking off my pants. Face down on the bale, I closed my eyes, the straws scratching my cheeks while I blushed hotly at the squishy sound of Emm fisting his cock while his cold fingers played with my rim.

I bucked my hips against him, wanting him to finally breach me but he kept teasing me with his thumb.

"God, your ass looks so perfect and fuckable. Want to eat you out."

"Do it, man!" I babbled.

The memory of his wet, cold lips nibbling at my rim makes me so hot I have to push my slick forefinger inside my body while I moan wantonly.

I'm so lost in the memories I'm getting off to that I fail to notice the sound of the house door opening, or the creaking wood betraying someone's footsteps.

"You're such a sexy wolf, Jake." I open my eyes at Emmett's rough voice and see just a blur as he strips naked, winter light glinting off the silver bear and jade wolf that hang from the necklace around his thick neck.

Turn my head aside to hide my blush. Emmett's never caught me like this, in such an open display of my hunger for him.

He kneels on the floor and bats my hands away. "You're touching what belongs to me, Jacob."

He hooks his forearm under my knees and pushes my legs towards my chest, leaving me completely open to his gaze. "So tell me, what were you thinking of?"

I thrust my chin at the picture on the corner. "When I took that photo."

He chuckles darkly. "Oh, the time I rimmed your delectable hole on the bale of hay."

His tongue laps the sensitive space between my buttocks while I grip the back of my knees with my hands and bring them closer to my chest, shameless in my need for him.

My hips wiggle at the exquisite feeling of his flat, cold tongue swirling around my sensitive hole, his lips nibbling on the tender rim.

"Should eat you more often," he breathes against my skin. I can't help it, the vibrations against my wet opening make me buck my hips towards his face, wanting to ride his tongue.

"Nope, Jake." His palm lands flat on my center, and then his fingers grip my hips tightly, forcing me to remain still.

I whimper when his tongue thrusts inside me, mewling at the delicious sensation when it circles my inner walls, squirming under his tongue when his teeth delicately nip at the swollen rim.

"Emm, Emm, Emm," I moan continuously, unable to jerk up my hips and impale myself on his cold tongue.

"What do you want?" He says before pushing a slick finger inside me.

"Fuck me, just fuck me!"

He thrusts a second finger inside my clenching body, rubbing my walls as he growls, "Soon, Jacob. Can't wait to be inside you. Would've been here sooner, but that damned animal made me lose your necklace."

"What?" I mutter in disbelief. Emmett is going to town on my ass and he stops to talk about an animal? Should push him down to the floor and ride him silly!

"The four point buck put up a fight, and in the struggle I lost the necklace," Emm says conversationally while he scissors his fingers, hooking them just so to nudge my prostate.

I wail and arch my back as sparks of pleasure shoot through my body, missing his next words.

"…. half a day to search those damned woods!"

I whimper low in my throat as his blunt cockhead finally stretches my rim, grimacing at the burning sensation when he breaches my body as he pumps his hips ever so slowly.

"More, I want more."

He stops at that, his cock sunk midshaft. I clench around him to egg him on but when I glance up at him, he's smirking down at me. "So hungry for cock, huh?"

I loop my arms around his neck and yank him down. Emmett licks his lips, obviously thinking I'm going to kiss him, but instead I twist my neck to nibble at his hard nubs. His big nipples are Emmett's weak point and I don't hesitate to use them against him, the damned teaser! I take his pointed nipple between my teeth, nipping lightly while my fingers tweak the other one.

Emmett thrusts his hips reflexively, his thick cock spreading me wide as he pulls my hips onto his lap. I lower my head and rest it against the pillow, spreading my arms to grip the borders of the mattress. The new angle causes his dick to jab my prostate and I keen, curling my toes as my legs open wider of their own accord.

"C'mon, let me hear you howling with pleasure, the way no one else ever will," he says as he inches inside until he bottoms out, his wiry hairs scratching my sweaty skin, his balls resting snugly against my cheeks.

"Fuck! You're so tight, wolf," Emmett groans as he withdraws his cock tantalizingly slow before he fucks his hips into me, his dick jabbing my sweet spot the right way.

I push up my hips, meeting him halfway as he gathers speed, fucking me wildly so that my sweaty back slides on the sheets until my head bangs on the wall.

Emmett carefully cradles my skull with his hand to protect me, never stopping his thrusts. The mattress thuds ominously as he mounts me harshly, just the way I want.

His cold, wet dick stretches me so nicely, makes me feel so full it drives me crazy, and our groans mix with the sound of his thighs slapping against my cheeks.

I'm so near the edge I can't take it anymore. My arm slides down until I close my hand around my unattended cock, the slickness coating my cockhead easing the movement as my hips thrust up into the tunnel of my fingers and down onto his thick cock.

Emmett's weight over me is comforting, his coldness above and inside me soothing my heat. The delicious friction inside my walls and his dick randomly nudging my prostate cause me to squeeze hard around him as I come with a groan, my seed dribbling down my abs to drip onto the sheets.

Emmett leans down to kiss me, his tongue thrusting into my slack mouth as he rams his cock hard and deep, stretching my fluttering walls. Then he grunts and comes. I squirm at the feeling of coldness that fills my insides while Emmett lays his forehead against my sweaty brow, his hand playing idly with my hair.

"That was great, Jake."

Ruffling his short hair, I look into his amber eyes and nod. "The best ever."

I wince when his cock slips out of me with a popping sound before he stands up. He makes his way to the bathroom while the mattress sinks on one side when I sit up on the bed, Emmett's come dribbling down my legs.

My mate returns soon, holding a towel. He cleans my abs and the inside of my thighs, my cock twitching at his attention when he gently rubs my shaft with the towel.

"Ready for a second round?" he asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Too tired, man." I lift my hand to hide my yawn, and then point at the dipping bed. "We ruined it."

"Too forceful, huh?"

I lay my head on the pillow while Emmett scoots on his knees towards me. His cold skin soothes me as he rests by my side, his strong arms wrapping me in safety and love.

"I take it everything turned out fine with the pack?" he says.

"Yep, Chelsea had no problems doing her stuff. The guys put up a little resistance but she managed to convince them. They're finally free of the damned imprint." Thinking about reluctant Sam, I add, "Those that wanted to be, anyway."

"I take it Sam refused."

"Yeah, he prefers the safety of Emily to trusting his feelings."

"Some people bask in safety," Emmett says in a serious tone.

My fingers brushing his big, smooth arms wrapped snugly around my chest, I nod slowly. "I can certainly understand that. You make me feel safe."

"Good, because I want to protect you," Emmett says, peppering my shoulder with kisses. "And it goes both ways, your presence fills me with joy, you know."

My eyelids close with exhaustion at the end of this day which was filled with worry over the pack. "But I chose you, Emmett; nothing compelled me to do it. That makes what we have much more precious to me. We found each other in the dark and clung to this attraction. Made it real and valuable."

"How could I ever refuse to soothe your pain?" Emmett whispers in my ear. "Your cheerfulness and courage drew me to you and they always will. You're forever mine to cherish, Jacob."

I drift off into sleep, cradled in the arms of my mate, his voice soothing my soul.


End file.
